Love or Power
by regalshipper
Summary: Instead of removing her heart, Cora follows it and runs away with Rumpelstiltskin, but not before doing something she has wished to do for a long time. Meanwhile, love tampers with Rumple's magic. True love is tested, hearts break, and then are mended back again. Part Three now completed. Very AU episode 2x16. Golden Heart and Stable Queen introduced later
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This is my first fanfiction. Tell me how I did and what I can do to improve. Sorry for all spelling mistakes. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

She came running down the cobble stone path. The guards couldn't be that far away now, she knew they would be on her trail soon if they had seen her. She left the path and walked down the hill. It was a cold night. She could see her breath. She shivered and covered her arm with a shawl lined with the fur of a beast not native to this land. Such luxuries, she enjoyed these things. But no matter, she had business to attend to.

She saw him. The man. Well maybe not a man, more like a beast, but he was the one she loved none the less. She felt like running, but she didn't want to worry him. She approached him confidently. He turned, "I was beginning to worry."

"Well here I am," she whispered and closed the distance between them with a kiss. Short, but passionate. "We need to go."

"Why the rush, dearie?" He kissed her again placing his hand on her cheek.

" I fear I was seen. And they will soon find the body, it's just…" she started

"You fear they will trace it back to you." He whispered.

"Yes. We need to leave. If they know, Prince Henry will stop at nothing to get me back." She said, turning her eyes to the ground.

"Well we can't let that happen, now can we," he cackled, wrapping her in his arms and summoning a plume of red magic, covering them. The settings seemed to change as the red smoke began to part. To her disbelief, they were no longer in the cold valley, but in a rather large foyer of what seemed to be a castle.

"Where are we, Rumpel?" She questioned stepping out of his embrace. She admired the room flicking off her shoes onto the marble floors with square designs. There were many candelabras ensuring the room be well lit. Above them, a simple chandelier hung low from the ceiling to ensure the room was well lit. There was also a full mirror in one corner, a stuffed bear in the other , and in the front there were two suits of what seemed to be well used armor. In the center of the room was a vase of red roses perched on a table.

"My estate. I hope you can enjoy it while you stay here," he said reaching forward and retrieving a rose from the vase. "You may stay as long as you would like," he presented her the rose," as long as you can make good on our deal."

She reached forward and plucked the rose from his hand. "I think I can make that happen," she assured him stepping forward and laying a gentle kiss on the lips. He kissed her back, but then pulled away.

"Why don't we, I don't know, take this into my chambers?"

* * *

Light poured into the chamber. Cora awoke disoriented about her current location. She turned over in the massive bed to find the dark one, sleeping by her side. She smiled as memories of the previous night flooded her mind.

He turned over meeting her dark eyes. "Good morning, dearie," he mumbled.

"Good morning," she said blinking back the sleep. She reached forward and brushed a piece of hair off his face.

"I will call upon one of my servants. I am sure you would like a good meal after what you did to the king," he said as he began getting out of bed. He then stumbled forward catching himself on a stool.

"Are you alright?" she asked, looking at the man with concerned eyes.

He glimpsed down at his left foot, alarmed at the waves of pain coming from it. "Yes, yes, yes dear, I am fine. There is no need to worry." He placed the foot down onto the floor and flinched in pain again.

She watched him limp forward as he snatched a wooden plank that was propped up on a doorway, using it like a cane. "Are you really sure? You appear hurt," she inquired.

"I completely capable of seeing that myself!" He screamed throwing down the plank in anger. He looked at his reflection in a distant mirror. He stared at himself in disbelief. He shock his head and summoned magic to his hand, then held it over his foot, healing whatever had been bothering him.

"Are you sure, you seem, different some how."

"Stop asking that!" He screamed in her face " Just stay here. I'll be back with your meal." he said as he walked out of the chamber.


	2. Chapter 2

Servants came running down the corridor. "Prince Henry! Prince Henry!"

Henry stuck his head out of his chamber door. "What? What do you need at this hour?"

"It's your father!" he yelled between heavy breaths. "He... has been... found DEAD!"

"No," Henry said in disbelief shaking his head,"that's not possible. My father is a strong man!" He turned around to re-enter his chamber.

Another servant came from around the corner and put her arm on his shoulder. "He was murdered, my prince. His heart ripped from his chest."

"NO! I refuse to believe that!"

"I... I am sorry there is nothing I can do..."

"Well then call upon my fiancé." A ray of optimism shined through the pout on his face at the mention of his soon to be wife. He was enthusiastic about the wedding planned to be later that afternoon.

"Lady Cora is not in her chamber."

"Than find her! I don't want to find another dead on a day for celebration."

* * *

"Are you ready for my lesson?" asked Cora with new found optimism toward her magic studies. Now that she lived with her teacher, she would be able to learn about new kinds of magic around the clock. The more she learned, the more powerful she can become.

"But of course dearie, you want to continue your training. You took the next big step by crushing the kings heart yesterday, so you must be expecting something new." He said with a sigh. "Unfortunately, I have nothing further I wish to teach you."

Cora glared up in disbelief. "No new lessons? But if I am not powerful, how will I make them bow down if they are not afraid!"

"I am more interested, now, in you holding up your end of the deal," he said sauntering toward his favorite spinning wheel.

"My end! You still need to keep up yours!"

"And have I done anything but! I mean, you do know magic, now don't you!" he yelled as he plopped down into a small stool aside the wheel.

Cora walked forward bending down next to him. "So you really do spin straw into gold on your own time." he nodded "Why bother wasting your time when you already have enough to sustain yourself in an eternity of luxury?" she inquired.

"It helps me to forget."

"So you had a past. Like me. You told me that the memory you used to summon the magic to turn the straw was one where a man made you kiss his boots in front of your son." She paused "Where is your son?"

"He is gone." he said coldly focusing on his spinning work.

"Well its not like you to give up that easy, now is it? Your a powerful man. You can make him come back!"

"Do you know how old I am?"

She pondered this for a minute. He was the dark one, and with that he was granted the power of immortality, an ability she would love to be blessed with . "I don't know, around sixty or so, although," she wrapped her arms around his chest,"Your still just as handsome to me."

"I am much, much, much older than that dear!" he cackled as he kissed her on the cheek.

At that moment, the string he was spinning had stopped turning to gold and instead was turned into a brittle brown rope. Cora saw the strange blemish in his his golden rope. She knew something wasn't right. "Are you having problems with magic, Rumple?"

"Just got distracted for a moment." He stood up from his stool and walked into the center of the room where a maid was dusting off an old wooden table. "I need more straw to spin for me and our guest. Go down to the market. I'm sure they will have plenty."

"But master, the market is a days walk from here. Can't you just teleport yourself there?" the servant complained as Cora approached her sticking her arm into her chest. The servant screamed out in pain as Cora gripped her heart.

"How dare you defy your master? If I were you, I wouldn't question him and just do what he asks. Is. That. So. Hard?"Cora said as she gripped the maids heart.

"NO!" the girl managed to squeal out before Cora removed her hand from her chest. Cora removed her gloves and tossed them aside.

"Then get to it." The girl dashed out of the room almost tripping over her skirts to escape.

Rumpelstiltskin walked toward Cora and embraced her in a hug. "That, that is why I love you."

* * *

A man wearing black robes entered the study. He quickly approached the desk to tell Prince Henry the news. "I have told the kingdom about your fathers passing. They were devastated. Your eldest brother shall take the thrown at dusk tonight. I have taken the liberty of postponing your wedding, to allow for the people to lament your father's death."

"Thank you. You seem to be the only one still by my side after this tragedy." Henry was playing with a small drawing he had made of Cora. He knew she didn't feel the same, but he loved her.

The man stepped into the light and glanced down into Henry's hands."I think it is my job, as your friend and as your personal butler, to tell you that the kingdom suspects Cora for his passing."

"And your proof?"

He pulled a parchment from a pouch attached to his belt. "This was written by your father two months ago. I think it may interest you."

Henry skimmed through the many paragraphs of information. From this he came to the conclusion that his fiancé has been learning magic from a mysterious imp. She had been cheating on him with another man. A single tear fell from his eye landing on the parchment. He took the drawing and shoved it into the hands of the man. "She is now a wanted criminal. Stop at nothing to bring her back her so she can face judgement for her actions.

The man nodded and left the chamber. Henry glanced at the desk, in the corner a ring made from the gold Cora had spun. He took it out of it's velvety holder and observed it. He was supposed to be wearing this ring as he proclaimed his love for the millers daughter. But things had changed. "I can never love some one so cold." He threw the ring into the fire, abandoning his love for the women forever.


	3. Chapter 3

As the sun reached above the horizon, a large crowed gathered in the market place. Today marks two days since the king's murder and a regal coach was parked in front of a clearing. This coach was marked with the symbol of the royal family. Every one suspected that there would be a message about laws created by the new king or an announcement regarding the yearly collection of taxes.

"Loyal subjects! We have cause to believe that we know the person who murdered our dear king!" said Prince Henry's Butler holding out a stack of identical parchments. "His murderer is walking among us, Prince Henry's fiancé! He is offering a reward of three spools of gold to the one who brings him Lady Cora!" He threw the flyers into the crowd, people scurrying to get their own copy. Each sported a quick rendition of the prince's drawing.

A young maiden pulling a cart of hay stopped to bend down to grab one. She glanced at the flyer, blinking a few times to ensure that she had not miss seen. This was the young maiden that her master had brought home! No wonder the girl looked so familiar. She contemplated speaking up for a moment, thinking what her master would do to her if she was not home by dusk. But then she saw the reward. Three whole spools! She knew that this was a large amount of money, enough to sustain herself for years. "Sir! Sir! I know the where a bouts of this lady!"

"Maiden! Step forward! What is your name?"

"Evelyn, my lord! I am kept captive by the dark one!" The crowd took a step back from her. She continued, "He brought Lady Cora to his estate two nights ago."

"Bring us there then! Prince Henry wants her!" the butler said climbing off the platform he was standing on.

"And who are you to believe that you can take on the dark one?"

"I am Lucas, Prince Henry's butler and personal friend." he said shaking her hand. He climbed back onto the platform. "I am calling upon all of you! Any of you brave enough to face a dark sorcerer and his girl friend to avenge the kings death, grab your pitch forks and torches! We will bring them to face justice for the slaying of our wonderful king!" The crowed roared as craftsmen and farmers alike began yelling in agreement to his statement.

"So, when do I get my gold?" Evelyn said slyly from below the platform.

"Not until I get proof." Lucas replied to her. He turned and faced the crowd "Now follow my carriage! We shall have them face justice for what they have done!" Lucas stepped down from the platform again. "Come with me. Leave your cart. You won't need it." He walked toward the coach, parting the crowd as he walked. A man opened the door. "After you, young maiden."

"I have a name you know!"

"Just get in the carriage." The two climbed in shutting the door behind them. The man climbed to the seats in the front of the coach and grabbed the rains of the two horses.

The moved forward with an angry mob following them leaving the square abandoned, with only trampled flyers, stray pieces of hay, and the occasional bread crumb.


	4. Chapter 4

It was the middle of the night. It was a rather dark night, clouds covering the moon and stars. In their chamber, Rumpelstiltskin and Cora slept next to each other. Suddenly, Rumple shot up jerking awake Cora in the process. "Rumple, what's wrong. Come back to bed." Cora said grabbing his hand.

"Do you want to have another magic lesson?"

"But it is the middle of the night. Can't it wai..."

"Just answer the question!"

"Yes! of course!" She rubbed her eyes getting out of the bed.

Rumpelstiltskin summoned his healing spell again, raising his hand over his foot before getting up. He sighed in relief the pain left his body. He stood up and rushed to a trunk in the corner. He dug around in it as Cora stood in the corner putting on a transparent jacket on top of her night garments. He pulled out a crooked staff and handed it to her. She fumbled with it, trying to figure out how to hold it. "Here put your right hand here," he said grabbing her hand and putting it onto the top of the staff. "There. Now, we need to go to the courtyard."

"What am I going to do? Why now? Can you tell me anything, Rumple!?"

"Why do you keep asking questions? Just follow me!" he grabbed her wrist pulling her as she followed struggling to keep up. The ran down the corridor and turned out into the open courtyard.

"Now. What am I doing?" she asked as he stepped away from her.

"I need you to cast a protection spell. I think of the place and people you need to protect. Think of me, Cora." he replied softly.

"Think of you?" she thought for a moment, "Are they coming for me!"

"Yes! They are coming for the both of us!" he yelled in aggravation. " Now think of protecting me."

"Why can't you do the spell your self. We can kill them all! Just let them come at us!"

"No! I can't! I am having problems with magic!" he pathetically yelled.

"Okay. I can do this." She raised the staff and imagined Rumple. She took a deep breath. She slammed down the staff. When it touched the ground, a golden light emanated from it. The light raised up like a beacon into the sky. After it reached the top of the sky, a thin layer spread for the light covering the estate and a small portion of the land.

"Wonderful, dearie!" He said as the spell ended.

Cora blinked in relief. "I did it!" She turned around and wrapped her arms around hims neck. He reluctantly hugged her back, eventually leaning down toward her face and capturing her lips in a kiss. "Now, answer me one question." She asked after pulling away.

"And what would that be?"

"Why are you having problems with magic?"

"Because, my dear, what we have... it... it is true love. Cora I love you!" he confessed, letting a single tear drip out of his eye. He had not cried in years. Not since he lost his Bealfire.

Cora let go of him and stepped back. "You do? But you are the dark one!"

"You are breaking my curse! Cora I am scared. Not just for me, but for you. I had a vision of the future. I saw them taking you away. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if they hurt you! I am still human you know!"

"They can't hurt me with my magic!" she said turning away.

"I just want you to be safe." he said as he grabbed her shoulder spinning her around and kissing her hard. She quickly kissed him back, moving their lips in perfect harmony. They pulled away for air when Rumpelstiltskin said, "Come on dear, it is still the middle of the night. You need to go back in, or you will get a cold."

"Alright darling."

* * *

It was almost dawn. The mob of people was getting restless and hungry. He couldn't take many more of their complaints.

"There! Up ahead! See that peaking out over the trees! It is the home of the dark one!" yelled Evelyn back to the crowd. They cheered in relief that soon they would have revenge on their king.

They got out of the coach, Lucas grabbing his sword. Evelyn grabbed a few knifes resting on one of the shelves. The crowd was already running ahead. The two raced to the front of the group leaving behind all the commoners behind them. They were reaching the gates to the grounds a few men and women had ran toward the gate and been pushed back by an invisible force. They were squealing in pain.

"What is wrong with you!"

"There is some force! Like a barrier!"

"They knew!" Lucas turned to Evelyn, "How would they know that we were coming!"

"He is the dark one! What do you expect! He knows everything!"

"Fine but I am staying here until the barrier comes down." he demanded throwing a pebble into the ground, the barrier bouncing the pebble back at his feet.

The crowd groaned in anger as many of them turned around walking back to the town, angered at their lost time and energy. A few people stayed behind as Lucas and Evelyn set up a tent. They reluctantly shared it since there was only one packed in the coach. A few woodsmen started a fire using the twigs they found in the woods around the grounds. They will camp until the barrier was broken.


	5. Chapter 5

Four months later

...

Rumpelstiltskin was slowly loosing his powers. He was just glad he could do it with Cora by his side. Now he could only cast small simple spells. His name fading from the dagger made him realized that all of his power was just boiling off into the air, but he was glad that no one else would have to deal with his curse. He started to walk with a cane Cora had created from an old tree in the courtyard and some extra gold in the cellar because he could no longer heal his foot. He was becoming the man he was before his curse. He felt emotions, pain, but most of all he felt love. He forgot how much he missed feeling this way; being human again.

Outside the gates, there were still a few citizens waiting for the barrier to fall. Cora, however, had been recasting the barrier spell daily when every one was asleep. There was no real reason she needed to, but if the people outside were some how able to break this barrier, they would be in danger. She wasn't just afraid for Rumple, but also for their unborn child. Their relationship was no longer just about their deal anymore. Actually, the deal, with Rumple's magic, had seemed to just go away. It was about love, and about family.

"Do you see anything else about her?" Cora asked as they sat in the newly renovated nursery.

"No. I haven't been able to see our future for two months now." he replied glaring around the room.

There was a sketched out picture mounted on the wall. In the picture was a teenage girl with long hair in a french braid riding a horse. Rumpelstiltskin claimed that this was what their daughter would look like after getting one of his last glimpses into the future. He said that she didn't really look like either of them that much, but he could see Cora in her eyes. "What should we name her?" he asked laying a hand on her swollen stomach.

"Well, I have a few names in mind."

"What are they?"

" My favorite is Regina. If I remember correctly, it means queen. Or at least that is what one of the books in the library upstairs says." Rumple felt a small movement from inside Cora.

"Regina... It's a perfect name." he paused, "What do you think it would have been like for you. Being queen that is?" He said wrapping his arms around her.

"Probably miserable. I never had any feelings for Henry, and he told me, before you and I ran away, that he wanted a family." There was a briefly silent as they stared into each other's eyes. Cora continued, "Before I met you, I never wanted a family. But now, all I can think about is her. Our child!" She kissed him softly. He reciprocated the kiss, putting his fingers through her hair, which hung at her shoulders in loose curls. As he had become more human, they had fallen more and more in love, her lust for power no longer prevalent on her mind. Everything was perfect just the way it is.

* * *

"I am getting tired of this. Lets bring this barrier down once and for all!" Lucas yelled. He had quickly became bored with camping and commuted to and from the castle weekly to check on the status of the barrier. It was per Prince Henry's, and for his dear friend and employer, he had felt it necessary to obey.

Since Cora had left, prince Henry became lonely and sad, until he met some one new. A woman who was once a captive of the dark one. They wanted revenge on Rumpelstiltskin; Henry for his fiancé and this woman for a deal he had made with her parents. This woman was Evelyn. Lucas was very angry at their recent engagement, but cloaked it for fear of being fired from his place as butler.

He had come up with many ways to break the barrier. He had found only one way to successfully get anything through it though. Last week he had lit a torch and thrown it at the barrier. The torch went through leaving a small hole, enough for him to throw in a rock. He had assumed that the barrier had broken completely, so he had walked forward and was hit with an invisible was of energy, that pushed him back.

Since his trick with the torch had worked, Lucas ordered the woodsmen to cut down the largest tree in the forest. Perhaps that it would work on a bigger scale. Prince Henry and his new fiancé had come with Lucas this time, who ensured that this would be the last trip and the barrier was most defiantly going to be broken tonight. The plan was to light the estate on fire once inside. This would force the two out. People would be stationed at every exit to make sure the couple couldn't get away.

The men had the tree ready to go. It took sixteen men to hold it in place while a few stood behind it with various weapons and torches. "Light it!" yelled prince Henry. A torch was dropped into the branches. The tree caught fire immediately causing smoke to pool on the forest floor. "CHARGE!" The men rammed the burning tree into the barrier, shattering it. This caused a wave of energy to disperse over the area, waking Cora and Rumple.

The tree was quickly brought up and smashed upon the doors of the estate, immediately causing it to catch on fire. "Cora! We need to leave!" yelled Rumple grabbing his cane and a cloak hanging on the bed post. Cora grabbed a box of magical trinkets, containing a few potions, talismans, Rumple's fading dagger, and a few other objects unknown to her.

The fire had spread to the floor of the hallway. The only way out would be by teleportation spell. "This way!" Cora yelled grabbing his arm leading them out of the chamber and to a room a few doors down the hall. It was the nursery. Cora took down the picture off the wall and but it into the box. She wanted to remember what her daughter looked like. There was a man approaching when she started to cast a spell to teleport them out.

She looked up as dark blue smoke began to engulf them making eye contact with some one she had hoped to never see again. Prince Henry. He scowled at her as the smoke covered them completely, moving them to a place far away. This was a place she had wished not to see again. Her family's mill.

* * *

Prince Henry was enraged for two reasons. The first was that he had never known that you could use magic to bring you somewhere else. The other reason was that she was with child. She was supposed to be the mother to HIS children, not that beast's. No matter how much he wanted to forget her, he knew he still had feelings for her. He still wanted her.

Now walking down the burning hallway, he called all the men off, telling them that Cora and Rumpelstiltskin used magic to escape. The people choose to ignore Henry and insisted on ransacking the house instead. Prince Henry decided that maybe it would help him blow off some steam if he joined them, entering Cora and Rumpelstiltskin's chambers and destroying everything in the room with his sword. On the floor in the corner was a golden ring with a diamond on the center, one he recognized. It was the ring he had given Cora when he asked her to marry him. On that night a year ago, he wouldn't have ever imagined Cora leaving him for another man. He took the ring and let the room go up in flames as he tried to extinguish his love for her.

Leaving the palace behind with nothing to show for months of work was depressing. Prince Henry gathered Lucas, Evelyn, and the other members of the guard to go home. His search for Cora had not ended. As for the rest of the people who had waited at the estate for all this time, they took as much gold as they could and divided it equally among themselves.

The house, that this morning had been filled with love and hope for the future, was nothing but a pile of ash and smoldering rocks.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Sorry for missing yesterdays post! I had a bit of writer's block, but I added an extra scene in the end to make up for it. Please Review!**

* * *

Rumple and Cora stood at the entrance of an old abandon mill. The siding was falling off, weeds were growing in the garden, and it had appeared to have a bottle thrown through the glass of one of the windows. "Home sweat home, well I guess, it used to be..." said Cora walking toward the old wooden door.

"You called this dump a house?" asked Rumple

"Why yes of course. I grew up here thank you very much!" yelled Cora as rats scurried across the floor.

Rumple cringed at her remark. "Well you can fix this up now can't you."

Cora grinned raising her arm giving the mill a nice coat of white paint. She transformed the small cot in the corner to a luxury bed, repaired the broken cabinets in the kitchen, and changed an old pile of crates in the corner into a crib for their baby. She then conjured up a broom and handed it to Rumple. " Come on you have to work too"

Rumple frowned, eventually taking the broom from her hands, starting to sweep up the broken shards of glass and bug caucuses. It was unusual to have to do all the old things he used to do. Before the dagger.

He brushed the remnants of the old dirty mill out the door. Cora had updated everything in the one room house to look, a the least, presentable. All the whiskey bottles were gone, the floor repaired, and there was now a spinning wheel on the floor. He place the broom next to a furriness in the corner and replaced it with his cane. He sat on the stool in front of the spinning wheel, slowly turning it. "This seems much more like a home."

"Something is still missing," Cora said reaching into the bag she had brought. She pulled out the picture of their daughter and placed it upon the wall. "Much better."

"So what else is in the bag?" Rumple inquired as Cora sat in a chair not to far from him, dumping out its contents onto the floor.

"Potions, some talismans, your dagger..."

"What else?"

Cora pulled out an old raggedy cloth. Rumple immediately got up. "What is this?"

Rumple ripped it out of her arms. "This was wrapped around my son the first time I held him."

"Oh, right. I sometimes forget that you have a child other than ours," Cora responded putting a hand protectively on her swollen stomach.

"His name was Baelfire. I never even knew my wife was pregnant." Cora moved closer and grabbed Rumple's hand. He continued, " I was off fighting in the ogre wars and was... injured, so I was sent home. My wife greeted me with out baby. He was so beautiful Cora. And I lost him."

Cora wiped a tear that was in the corner of his eye off. "What happened to him. Did he die?"

"No. He fell through a portal." Rumple turned around, letting go of Cora's hand to examine the rag. They sat in silents for a few minute.

Cora stood up and grabbed an old cloak that hung on the door. Even though she had worn it not two years ago, it no longer fit properly, her swollen stomach sticking out. She went to walk out the door. "I am going to go to the market and get us some food. I'll be back soon Rumple."

She left closing the door behind her. Rumple began to stare at the cloth again. He realized at that moment, that all of the visions he had seen of this girl, his daughter, in the past could no longer be true. He had seen the visions of an older version of her in black ripping out the heart of a man, that was defiantly not him, and calling him father. But to his surprise, she looked the same in the vision he had recently of her riding a horse where he could clearly see him in the background, more grey, but defiantly him.

He played with the blanket a little longer. Now that the future has been changed, their daughter would not be able to take the heart she needed to cast the curse. He had to find a new way to get to the world without magic, that strange world.

* * *

Cora was walking down the path to the market. On the ground, she saw an old flyer, which had yellowed and was covered in splotches of dirt, but it still read; Wanted dead or alive: Lady Cora for murder and treason. It was adorned with a picture of her. Thinking ahead, Cora changed the color of her hair to black, eyes green, and made herself a little taller. If she had done much more, it could hurt the baby. She continued further seeing the market ahead and wrapped the cloak tighter around herself trying to blend in.

The market was eerily empty today. Even most of the stores were empty, but there was a small store selling bread and vegetables. She paid the man with the three coppers she had found at the floor in their home.

She exited the store thanking the man. There was a group of people walking toward the clearing. She decided to follow them. A voice boomed over the crowd as everyone fell silent.

"I am proud to announce that your Prince Henry has chosen a new bride!"

Cora stumbled back almost dropping a potato out of her basket. "Henry has replaced me with another woman!" thought Cora beginning to feel magic tingling on her fingertips. She breathed out slowly clenching her fist and swallowing her pride. I some one saw her using magic, they may see through her disguise.

She was listening to the man but not hearing the words that were escaping his lips, so she turned and left the market.

Enraged she stormed toward the forest changing her features back to her own and conjured the blue smoke to teleport her back home.

* * *

The Dark Curse, once a priced object of his was now taunting him. "Have I made the right choice replacing my son with a new child?" Rumple thought picking up the dark curse, which was encased in a glass ball for protection.

Small wisps of blue smoke rushed toward his feet, he jumped and turned around to find his love enraged. She strutted into the kitchen area and threw down the basket of fresh bread and vegetables.

"Is everything alright, dearie?"

"Well, it seems that "our friend" Henry has replaced me with a new girl, I am a wanted criminal, and our baby is causing me quite a bit of pain. Everything in perfect!" she responded throwing up her hands in anger. She saw the glass ball in Rumple's hand. "What is that?"

"Garbage. Evil Garbage." He said giving it to Cora.

She examined the glass tracing the outline of the small scroll inside on the surface. She blinked taking a stronger grip on it, then smashing it agents the wall behind the fireplace, shards of glass and the scroll burning up in the processes.

Rumple exhaled deeply. "Thank you. You have freed this world from one of its many evils."

"It seems like it is not the only one I have destroyed..." she said picking up the dagger from the floor. His name, with only a faint outline remained, was barely visible.

"It is better for our daughter this way. I don't want her to go away like my son did."

"I guess you are right." Cora stopped to put her hands on her stomach. She quickly grabbed Rumple's hand and placed it directly where her hands were briefly before. "And I suppose that she will have magic too than."

"For her sake, I hope not."

"Why so? I have magic and I am fine!"

"It is just, magic gets you into trouble. I mean, you are a wanted criminal and if any one could recognize me now, I would be dead. I just want her to be happy."

"I think that is something we can both agree on."


	7. Chapter 7

Things remained quiet for a while, Cora and Rumple kept a low profile and no one suspected a thing. Rumple would spin straw into rope and Cora would mill wheat into flour. Once every other day, she would take a cart full of the flour and rope and trade it for food. It was not an extravagant life, but the two had agreed that this is what was best for now. They had also agreed on a new set of rules; No more magic, for their baby's sake. The only exception to this rule was when Cora went to the market, when she would alter her appearance so people wouldn't recognize her.

They had purchased a horse to help Cora with the trading, seeing as she could barely lift anything more than her weight now with their baby's arrival coming sooner and sooner. Rumple felt horrible that he could not help much with the trading, but he could barely walk without his cane, so he wouldn't be of much use in carrying supplies. Cora had insisted that he stayed home, also for fear that some one would recognize him.

Rumple decided that today, he was going to make up for all the times that he could have helped Cora with the trading. He an idea to travel to the sea, close to the village where Bealfire was born.

"Come. I have something to show you!" Rumple said enthusiastically walking out of the mill.

"Alright I am coming. Just give me a minute!" Cora was much larger than when they had first arrived at the mill. She had found it harder to walk, and she had very little energy to do almost anything.

Rumple helped Cora onto a small cart with a seat mounted on top that he had built for Cora's trips to the market. He then grabbed a basket and his cane from the side of the mill. He had the rag that he held so dear around his neck. He had kept it there for safe keeping. "Just hold on. You will have a good time today, I can guarantee it."

* * *

It was about noon when they reached the coast. Cora had only been to the sea once, and that was before her mother passed away when she was younger. She took a deep breath in, letting the sea fill her nose with its salty aroma. The sound of the waves crashing on the shores calmed her mind.

Rumple grabbed her hand and they laced their fingers together. "This truly is something. I am glad I got to see it," said Cora. She looked into his eyes, "You know, you aren't the man I meet all that time ago in the tower who taught me to spin straw into gold."

"Well that is the funny thing about love. It changes a person. It has changed you, too. You used to only be interested in power, but now our destinies are intertwined. I didn't know it at the time, but I still mean it when I say, I am invested in your future," Rumple reached his free hand into the basket, grabbing something. He carefully bent down on one knee. "Cora, I love you! And I want us to be together for the rest of our days! Will you marry me?"

Cora gasped. She had never expected such a speech from him. It was probably not the best time to get married, but eventually, when the time was right, they could have a ceremony. Cora nodded excitedly as he slid the ring onto the fourth finger of her left hand. They hugged each other tightly. Neither of them wanted to let go.

* * *

"It is late, Henry. Come to bed dear," called Evelyn from the door to his study.

"No, we must finish this meeting first!" replied Henry turning back to the group of men sitting around his desk. Each one had come up with ways to find Lady Cora and a new criminal, the Dark One. Evelyn sighed and left the men to their meeting. This was getting old.

"I just think it would not be wise to let it go through!"

"Well there is truly nothing we can do about it!"

"QUIET MEN!" yelled Henry rubbing the bridge of his nose. "We all know that we need to get that child. If it is the product of the Dark One and Lady Cora, it will have unspeakable magical abilities. The problem will be capturing the child soon enough, before it develops it's power."

"But it may not even be born yet?"

Lucas came in with a pot of hot tea on a silver platter. He filled the men's cups. " Well if the child is not yet born, then all we must do is kill Lady Cora." Lucas smirked at the idea of her death.

"Well where might they be hiding? We can interrogate any areas of supposition."

"They wouldn't be very far from here. I know, from the time I spent with her, that Lady Cora is not well-traveled. She has probably not left the kingdom. We should check the local villages and port towns nearby. That is where they are most likely hiding," Henry said to the men. They all nodded in agreement. "You shall all be assigned a village or port town. Your job will be to search the whole area for either Lady Cora or the Dark One. If you see either, do not hesitate to kill. You are dismissed."

The men got up brushing past Lucas as the walked down the stairs to see themselves out. "Why don't you get your brother involved in this?" inquired Lucas as he filled Henry's cup with fresh tea.

"The king has better things to deal with. I promised him and the kingdom that I would bring justice to my father's death, so it is my responsibility."

"I just think that you could use more help. This is a big task for you to handle alone."

"Speaking of help, can you please travel to this village for me?" Henry pointed on a spot not to far from the castle. "This is where Lady Cora grew up, and this is where I suspect them being most of all. I can only trust you with this task."

Lucas examined the map carefully. He then looked up. "Yes! I will leave right away!" Lucas placed the tray of tea on the desk and dashed down the stairs.


	8. Chapter 8

They had fallen asleep together on the beach. Rumple had woken up first with a cold breeze chilling his skin, which was not scaly like it used to be. All the flecks of gold were gone and his hair was a bit longer. All together, he thought he looked completely different, but Cora still saw the man she fell in love with. She was leaning on his chest on hand on his arm, the other on her stomach.

He liked the feeling of her in his arms. Inside Cora, their daughter moved slightly causing a strange sensation to come to the hand he had on Cora's stomach. He slowly removed his hand and started to comb her hair. He noticed the tide was soon to come in.

This is where he had asked Milah to marry him. He remembered the day. Although it was an arranged marriage, he had thought she was stunning. Their fathers had agreed to meet here to finish the arrangements when he was allowed to propose. He had given her the ring and began planning their wedding.

Now thinking back to the day he had remembered that she had cried. He remembered the look in her eyes. He had not known it at the time, but there was no sign of love behind them. Not the same look Cora gave him. Not even close.

His thoughts were disrupted by the hooves of a horse. He sat up slowly to see a royal breed horse galloping toward them. He shook Cora. "Wake up!"

Cora grunted and rolled over in his arms. "Cora get up now!"

She heard the hoarse hooves splashing in the water and jolted up. Her legs were weak from sleep. He pulled her up, but it was too late to escape as a man got off the horse. Rumple glanced at Cora. She shook her head after realizing his plan, but it was too late. He threw himself at the guard. "Go! Be free!" he yelled back. He struggled to keep the guard back.

With a tear in her eye, she summoned the blue smoke moving her away.

* * *

He saw that she had gotten away. Relieved he let the guard take him prisoner.

"What is your name!"

Rumple kept his mouth shut.

"Tell me or I will kill you!"

No words. The man ripped the cane out of Rumple's hand and pushed his back with the handle. Rumple stumbled into the water, falling with a hand deep in the mud. The guard hit him with the cane. Rumple fell back pretending to lose consciousness.

The man picked up his limp body and threw him into a wooden cage being carried by his horse. The carriage began moving into the forest back to the castle where he would be interrogated by Prince Henry. This guard knew that this man had protected Lady Cora, and that was a criminal act. Rumple, however, didn't fear for himself, but for Cora.

* * *

Cora had reappeared in a field not so far from the beach. She didn't have enough energy to teleport very far. "I need to figure out where I am, then I can go rescue him," she thought as she began walking back toward the beach area.

She didn't know the area she was in very well. To teleport to a place you must have been there before. You have to imagine yourself in the place you want to go to successfully cast the spell. The only memory she had of this place was when they stopped to give the horse a break.

The hills were exceptionally green. It had rained many times in the past month and even today the sky remained a shade of stingy grey. Over the hills there was a movement. Cora quickly ducked down, but saw that it was nothing but a sheep. She walked toward the fuzzy sheep. It was young and wore a bell around its neck.

It had to belong to some one. She tried to pick up the sheep, but her pregnant stomach stopped her reach. She sighed in frustration as she grabbed the collar that the bell was hanging on tugging it to where it had walked over. There was a small cottage with a pen with many sheep in it outside. It was so quaint. Outside, there was a young woman with black curly hair cascading over her shoulders and brown eyes. She was milking a cow. She probably had not noticed it escape the pen.

Cora walked down the hill, dragging with her the sheep. "Pardon me, but I think that this belongs to you," Cora said gently. The woman jumped up at the sound of Cora's voice.

"Oh my goodness," She reached forward to grab the sheep from Cora. "He has to stop running away." she looked up at Cora. "Have I met you before, you look awfully familiar."

Cora blushed in embarrassment. This woman must have seen her face on one of the wanted posters in the kingdom. "No I don't think we have been acquainted." she paused laying a hand on her stomach. She would need a fake identity. She decided to use her daughter's name. "My name is Regina," said Cora holding out her hand to shake.

The woman smiled and nodded grabbing her hand shaking it firmly. "Well pleasure to meet you Regina, my name is Ruth. How can I repay you for bringing back my little sheep?"

"Oh you mustn't repay me at all, I will just be on my way," Cora said turning away.

"Nonsense, stay for dinner. Besides, it will be night-time soon, and it wouldn't be healthy for your baby if you traveled much longer today."

"Well," Cora paused thinking of Rumple, but then she thought of Regina, " A hot meal would be nice."

* * *

Rumple was being taken through the forest. He was ashamed of being in this cage, like some kind of trapped beast. He needed to find Cora and make sure she was okay. He tried to picture the beach and teleport there, but he didn't have enough magic to make the spell work.

Aggravated he threw himself at the walls of the cage. "Don't make me come back there! I won't hold back this time!" yelled to guard.

Rumple instead figured his best bet was to break out. He summoned the most of the healing spell that he could and raised his hand over his foot. It only healed itself partially. "Close enough," he thought as a small increment of pain left his body.

He now summoned up a spell to create balls of fire. This spell was Cora's favorite when if came to offensive magic. He held the miniature flame in the palm of his hand. It was weak and would only be enough to light a candle. He commanded the flame onto the wooden bars of the cage letting it burn a hole in the side enough for him to craw through. The fire burned itself out and he climbed through without the guard noticing.

It was a cold night. He grabbed the rag from around his neck and wrapped his arms in it. He ran back toward the beach. They had followed the same general path Rumple had taken Cora on, so he knew the way. The sun was ducking down under the horizon.

It was going to be a long night.


	9. Chapter 9

Cora sat in the small cottage eating what seemed to be some kind of beef stew, or maybe that was pork. Either way, it a welcome change to what she and Rumple had been eating. It was nice to have at least some variation in meals. Ruth had been very kind to Cora, or Regina as she knew it. Cora was to spend the night her and resume her quest to free Rumple in the morning.

Ruth had seemed very interested in Cora's baby. She had expressed her want to have children since their meeting. "So where are you traveling to?"

"I am going to meet my husband at our house. I had business to attend to at the beach."

Ruth nodded grabbing Cora's empty bowl from the table walking over to the sink. "Please let me help!" Cora insisted struggling to stand up.

Ruth dropped the bowls in the sink and turned to Cora making her sit back down in the wooden kitchen chair. "No you have done enough for one day. You already helped my by bringing back the little sheep." Cora reluctantly nodded glancing around the cottage. It was a bit larger than the mill. The rooms were sectioned off and it looked as if there was a cellar down stairs.

"So you live her on your own?"

"No. Me and my fiancé live here. He is out trading our live stock to one of the nobles we have done business with for years," said Ruth holding up her left hand with a ring on it with a green gem stone on it. Cora smiled presenting her left hand with its gold band and diamond stone. Ruth's eyes got big as she marveled at the stone.

"How did he ever pay for it? With the income you two make, it would have taken months of savings to even get the ring let alone the diamond."

"I have no idea. I find myself luck to have found a man who cares enough about me to put even his own well-being out of the way to make sure I am comfortable," Cora said twiddling her fingers.

"And I assume that is his child?"

"Yes." Cora placed a hand on her stomach feeling the baby dancing inside her. She liked the fluttering sensations she got when the baby moved.

"Have you come up with any names?"

Cora thought about this for a moment. She couldn't use the baby's real name, since she was using it for her fake identity. Many millers wanted to have sons to take on more work. She decided that she would use boy's names instead. She decided on using a name that was close to her heart. "Well me and my fiancé have agreed on a name: David."

"I like that name," Ruth said as she walked over to a drawer in the kitchen, "but do you know if it is even a boy?" She dug through the drawer and pulled out an amulet. "This is supposed to predict the gender of your first-born child. If it swings north to south, it a boy. East to west, it is a girl. Here give me your hand."

Cora presented her hand. The amulet was place over her hand and instantly began moving east to west. "Well it seems that you are going to have a little girl."

"That's right. By dear Regina," thought Cora.

* * *

"Where to even start?" thought Rumple as he walked through the forest. The guard probably hasn't noticed his absents quite yet. He moved as fast as he could while his foot didn't hurt. It was dark, the only light was coming off the moon and distance stars. It was so cold, he needed to find somewhere warm. Ahead the trees parted to a nice long field.

He stepped out onto the field to see a small barn down the hill. There wasn't much in this area; it seamed to only have one farm. He ran down the hill to the barn careful not to disrupt the animals. The barn was a little warmer than outside. He walked over to a pile of hay and laid his tired eyes to rest falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

Cora awoke the next morning in a daze. Some one was shaking her arm. She looked up to see Ruth calling something but she couldn't make it out. "Regina! Regina! Wake up!"

Cora was confused. Regina was her daughter's name. And then the memories click, she snapped her eyes open. This baby really was talking everything away from her.

"Come, I have made eggs for you. I thought that you would like to start your journey early." Ruth said handing Cora an old plate filled to the brim with yellowish eggs. Cora tried to sit up, placing one hand on the cot and the other on her stomach for support. It took a moment, but she was sitting up. She quickly scarfed down the eggs. The traveling had made her very hungry.

Finishing the bowl, Cora got up and put it in the sink and began to pump fresh water to clean in off. She then placed it back in the cabinets. Ruth was already outside. Cora grabbed her boots from their spot beside the door. She laced them up and walked outside to find Ruth counting the sheep in the pen. "twenty-six... twenty-seven... twenty-eight..."

Cora waited patiently until she finished. "Do you need any help?"

"Actually, if you could bring the milking cow out here from the bark, it would be of great help."

Cora nodded and turned toward the barn.

* * *

Sunlight was streaming through the wooden siding of the barn. The subtle mooing of a cow was enough to stir him from his slumber, but he choose to just stare at the wall. Cora could have gone to a number of places, the beach, home, or countless other locations he wouldn't even have knowledge of. He heard the barn door's hinges open letting out a high-pitched squeak. He sat up, careful not to make a sound and squeezed his eyes shut.

He heard a figure walk in. They walked slowly, the floor boards creaking as they placed their feet down. The person walked into the stall next to the one where he currently resided. He then heard it, her voice," Come on. Move!"

He suddenly opened his eyes and went to walk forward, but stumbled over his bum foot.

The voice suddenly stopped and rushed to the next stall. She flung open the door, wielding a ball fire for self-defense. He looked into her eyes and her features suddenly softened. "Rumple!" she reached forward and squeezed him tightly, "You found me."

"Fate really does want us together, doesn't it," He said squeezing her back. He planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "We need to leave. The guard will figure out I am not back there soon enough."

Cora nodded. She assisted him up, carefully pulling him until his head was slightly above her's. He grabbed a pitch fork from the stall door and walked forward to follow Cora out. She grabbed the cow and directed it outside leaving Rumple alone for a moment. She ran back. He grabbed her hand and she cast the spell. "Let's go home."


	10. Chapter 10

They had been home for three days when she felt it. A strange pain in her lower abdomen. She knew she was going into labor. She didn't tell her fiancé about just told him that she was feeling sickly and wanted to stay in bed for the day.

He agreed to let her stay in bed. If it meant the well-being of the baby, he would always agree. He had not been with Milah when she was pregnant with Bealife or when she gave birth. Even as he lived as the dark one he had never known what a birth entailed.

Cora, however, knew what a birth looked like. It was not something that she wanted to remember.

It was an unusually warm that year. She was thirteen when her mother told her that she was to be a big sister. Cora was overjoyed with this news, but no one was more happy than her father. Her parents were always trying to have more children. Her mom had always told Cora that she was the greatest thing that had happened to the family. Having a brother would only make this family more happy and eventually more successful with more hands.

Then their family had been cheated on their taxes, having to pay almost double the amount of money that they usually had to pay. Cora's whole family, including her mother, had to work even harder than usual. Cora's father had insisted that his wife should take it easy, but she worked anyway.

She would carry wheat and bags of flour to and from the mill. One day, Cora was sitting in the mill when she heard a scream come from outside the mill. She rushed out to find her mother collapsed on the ground wincing in pain.

Her mother had gone into labor and was loosing blood. Cora watched and held her mother's hand. She had never been more afraid in her life; to see her strong mother wither while she watched. Each scream, weak breath, tight squeeze brought Cora close to crying.

The baby had finally came and her mother relieved, but weak. She had lost too much blood. Her father announced that it was a boy. Her mother named the baby David. The smile on her face was unforgettable. But soon it faded and she asked to sleep. A tear dripped out of her eyes as she went limp.

A few hours later, her baby brother David died in her father's arms. He soon lost all motivation to work. Cora blamed the monarchs for her mother's death. If they had not taken all their money, her mother wouldn't have had to work when she should have had rested. She made a promise at her mother's grave that she would become queen so no one else would feel this pain.

Now this promise had been voided by her love. She felt that true love, the most powerful magic of all, would honor her mothers memory just the same.

Having a child, at first, was exciting but now that it came down to the delivery, she was scared out of her mind. She couldn't share her mother's fate. Now, though, all she could do is rest.

* * *

Rumple rubbed Cora's back until she fell asleep. She looked so peaceful in her sleep. He kept a watchful eye on her as he sat on the spinning wheel.

He was soon disrupted by a whimper coming from to bed. Rumple got up from the spinning wheel and rushed to Cora's side. "Are you alright! Cora!"

Cora moaned a bit louder. Rumple felt her forehead. She felt like she had a fever and he was certain that she was going into labor. He went over to the water pump in the kitchen and boiled some water.

As time passed, the contractions became more frequent and more intense. Rumple just sat on the edge of their bed watching her squirm in pain. Here water had broken and it couldn't be long now. He felt hopeless. "What do I do? Please tell me! I don't know what to do!" Rumple pleaded with Cora as she gripped his hand and rode out the contraction.

"Just hold my hand. I can do this on my own," she said breathing heavily. Soon breaths turned to panting, subtle contractions to frequent painful ones, and moans to slight screams.

The screams emanating from her mouth was mirrored with spikes of magic. She had no intention of using this magic, but it eased the pain.

Soon she couldn't take the pressure any more. She had to push. She soon felt the head. Rumple moved to take a look, but immediately moved back to her side as she began to push again.

It took so long. Her screams were becoming unbearable. All he could do was watch her. "Just breath Cora everything will be alright. Just push!"

Cora just let out a last scream before there was finally relief. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth and she laid back in relief. Rumple rushed down to retrieve the baby. A smile was relieved on his face as he took the rag from around his neck, and wrapped the newborn child as she began to cry.

Everything calmed as Rumple brought the baby to Cora. She grabbed the baby and rocked her in her arms to sooth the child's screams. She brushed back the thin whips of dark brown hair, calming the baby. Rumple hugged Cora from behind as she began to cry tears of pure joy. It was a beautiful moment, their daughter's dark brown orbs staring that of her mother and father for the first time.

"Welcome to the world. Regina." said Rumple softly kissing the newborn on the forehead.

* * *

After feeding their baby, Cora sat up. There was still aches from birth and her stomach was still quite swollen, but everything else seemed perfect. She had a daughter. Something on this earth that she had created with magic she never had believed in.

Now, they had committed to no longer practice magic unless it was absolutely necessary. Rumple sat in a chair at the wooden table reading a book. He was researching ways to travel to a different world.

He learned of magic beans, but they were no longer produced by the giants. There was also chances of finding enchanted trees, but not many were still known. There were a few other specific portals to other worlds with magic.

The chances of just coming across one of these would be a million to one. They would have to make some serious plans to make their dream of living free, without fear of Prince Henry and the monarchs.

Regina began to whimper in the corner, being awoken from her slumber by the lightest of sounds outside of the mill. Cora slowly stood up, for she was weak from this morning's events, and pulled Regina out of her crib. She rubbed the child's back as the tears streaming down her face slowed.

She then placed Regina back into the crib. Regina's large brown orbs were staring directly into her's. She was reminded of herself. Baby Regina looked exactly like her. With brief investigation, she saw a few of Rumple's features as well. There was defiantly part of her inside baby Regina. "But for your sake, I hope you don't have magic. All it will do is get you in trouble," whispered Cora toward where Regina lied.

Whether Regina was listening or not wouldn't change anything. All she could do is hope for the best.


	11. Chapter 11

Lucas heard it. The screams. He couldn't match the voice to a particular person, but it was eerily familiar. He had patrolled an area with an abundance of mills. It seems that there was one hidden away by the trees off the path where many stood. He commanded his horse to move to the location of the person whose screams penetrated through the forest. His horse carried him a short distance through the woods when he found a lone mill.

He got off of the horse and tied its reins to the nearest tree. Slowly, he approached the mill, careful to not too much noise to alert those inside of his presence. There was a window where his eyes gained access to the inside of it. It was beautiful inside. He could see that the mill only took up half of the small house where he could see two people.

A man who appeared worried beyond belief, for he was clutching the hand of a woman who was sitting in a rather plush bed. It seemed out-of-place for a low-income mill. There was not many families who worked in the mills that could pay for much of the contents of this house. His thoughts were interrupted by a scream of the woman. She jolted up quickly one hand still being squeezed by the man and the other grasping at her stomach. Then it clicked. He would recognize those eyes from anywhere. That was Lady Cora, and soon they would also have a third person to find, her child.

The man who looked at her with such desperation, however, was not some one that he recognized. He couldn't be the Dark One for his skin lacked the flecks of gold and his hair was more tame. More importantly, this man's eyes were filled with love. "How could anyone love a woman so cruel?" he thought to himself. He reached down into a pouch on his belt to show a sharp dagger. He looked back in the window, the man was saying something to Cora. Then there was a another blood curling scream.

Suddenly, everything seemed calm as the man rushed down to retrieve the baby and cut the umbilical cord. Lucas gripped the knife, but then slid it back into the pouch. The child, who was now crying, was innocent. It had done nothing wrong. It would be cruel to take away the life of some one for what their parents did. He decided he would wait until the time was right to kill Lady Cora and the strange man.

* * *

The dagger, it was in the box. It wasn't far away. Cora used a magnet spell to bring the box to her. She fished out the dagger seeing Rumple's name barely even outlined anymore on the cold metal. Next to her was the dark one, and even though love was destroying his powers, he still had them. Cora raised the dagger above her head and drove it into his soft flesh. His eyes shot open in pain as an inhuman noise escaped his lips. Then Cora ripped out the dagger, now bearing her name. All that power. The strength of every sorcerer and sorceress in the world combined would pale in comparison to the power now running through her veins. She got out of bed and ran outside, hands covered in the scarlet blood. Magic emanated from her hands, the feeling brought a smirk on her mouth. She cackled at the world, so easy she obtained all this power, what she had thirsted for all her life...

Cora jolted out of bed, forehead coated in a fine layer of sweat. She checked her surroundings. No dagger. No blood. Just a dream. She exhaled and sunk back down into the bed. Rumple stirred at her movement. She turned over to meet his eyes. He noticed that her eyes were bloodshot. Since Regina had been born, neither had gotten much sleep. She was shaking slightly. He brought his hands up to cup her face. "What is wrong?"

Cora exhaled heavily. "Just a nightmare. Nothing you need to worry about. Go back to sleep."

"You want to talk about it?"

Cora looked into his eyes. Would he really want to know what went through her head. She turned her head slightly away. "No."

Rumple turned her head and brought his lips to hers. She responded and kissed back. He moved his hands from her face to her hips and pulled her closer to him. A tear fell from her eyes landing on his chest. "I had a dream where I stabbed you with the dagger..." she said coldly.

Rumple knew about her previous hunt for power. He knew that at one point in their past, she probably only hung around with him, with hopes of getting his dagger and killing him. Why this still haunted her mind was not a good question for the moment. "... But I want you to know that I would never hurt you. I wouldn't be able to live with out you."

"I know." He said closing the gap between the two with his lips on hers.

From across the room, Regina began to toss and turn, soon resulting in crying. Both Rumple and Cora got up from their bed to sooth their child. Cora pulled Regina out and rubbed her back. Her little hand grabbed at Cora's hair. Rumple chuckled as Cora struggled to remove the chunk of her hair out of the baby's grasps. She was so small with the exception of her eyes. Rumple brought over a small stuffed animal from the crib presenting it to Regina. The soft bunny was quickly clawed at by Regina's tiny fingers. Cora dried the tears from Regina's face using a small corner of her blanket.

They placed her down on the table and changed her into something fresh and clean. She smiled a toothless grin and giggled. Rumple picked up Regina and rocked her back and forth in his arms. Cora brought in a plate of eggs for her and Rumple and took Regina from his arms to feed her. They were just like a normal family, but things were soon to change.

* * *

Lucas went back to the palace. Henry was awaiting his arrival. "Please come to my study." Henry led Lucas up the stairs to his father's old study, now covered in Henry's things. "Can you bring me that parchment and ink?" Lucas nodded and grabbed a blank roll of parchment from a stack and a fresh bottle of ink. Henry snatched them from Lucas' hand and began writing in curly print close to the top. "Now what have you seen?"

Lucas played with his hands in his lap. "Well the good news is that I have found Lady Cora an-"

"Did you kill her!" Henry interrupted suddenly getting up out of his chair, spilling ink all over the parchment.

"I..I..I couldn't... couldn't do it..." Lucas said leaning back slowly into the plush chair.

"YOU LET HER GO!" Henry grabbed Lucas' arm.

Lucas ripped his arm from Henry's grip. He made fists with his hand. "Her child needed her!" he snapped back.

Henry looked at Lucas in disbelief. "What happens to that child is not to our concern. We need to kill her! She is destructive and dangerous! She killed my father!"

"That doesn't give you the right to hurt an innocent child!"

"That child will grow up to be the same kind of person, only with more powerful magic! The dark one is its father! Nothing is innocent."

Lucas did not respond he just sat still with a neutral expression on his face.

"If you can't kill her, I will." Henry grabbed a knife that was mounted on the wall and stuck it in his pocket. He stormed out and ran to the stables. He took the fastest horse he could. Cora was going to die.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N Lots of mushy love in this one. I couldn't help my self :) I am looking to start another story, so if you have any prompts please send them my way.**

* * *

Outside in the milling town there was a wedding. It was not Cora and Rumple's, but still every one was festive. They had not been invited, but they still wore their best clothing as they watched from a far. Regina had a cream gown that covered her tiny feet, Cora had a soft pink gown and her royal shawl, and Rumple had an old suit that was once Cora's fathers.

There were white flower everywhere and a small band was playing a soft joyous melody; A sweat melody of violins and pipes. Such a wedding was extravagant for such a poor town. They all enjoying the sights and sound of some one else's happiness.

"Do you think we will ever get married?" Cora said playing with the engagement ring on her left hand.

"Of course we will!"

"But with all we are going through, how?"

Rumple thought for a moment. The thought of his son falling through the portal shot through his mind. Then he had an idea. "We shall travel to a new world! A world where no one knows us. No one knows what your crime."

Cora closed her eyes to picture something like this. "That would be nice. No more running."

They turned their attention back to the wedding ceremony. Regina was giggling as she played with the soft bunny on the grass. A cold wind rustled the trees causing a bird to fly over head. It's chirps filled the forest. "What it would be like to be so care free." Rumple thought watching the bird fly to the sky.

A bride appeared at the beginning of the aisle. All the people in the audience stood. Cora watched in amazement. "I wonder what my wedding would have been like." She thought for a moment and then transformed her outfit. She was now wearing the gown meant for her wedding to Prince Henry. The corset at the top was a little to tight, because she was larger than before from her pregnancy, but it was everything she had remembered. The many layers of the dress touched the ground and she had on a pair of white heals only visible when she picked up the skirts to walk. Her hair was up in a grand up do.

"You promised no more magic."

Cora shrugged. "Well she is so young, she will never remember."

"You know I always loved that dress."

"You told me."

"Yes, but I also did this." He leaned in and gave her a passionate kiss. "Why don't we get married now?"

"Now?"

"But of course, we can have our own little ceremony over here. A priest is over there. And look, even an audience." Regina stared up in wonder and confusion. She was not used to seeing magic, but it entertained her. She soon got bored with her parents strange actions and went back to playing with the hem of her mothers dress.

The words of the priest in the background were coming though the trees and they used their imagination to make it more grand. Rumple repeated back every word that the priest said. "Will you, Cora of the millers be my take me as your husband and to love me and be with me for all eternity?"

"I do."

"And I, Rumpelstiltskin of the spinners take you as my wife, to love you till the world ends." He paused for a moment, "And now we present the rings."

Cora conjured up two identical plain rings made of simple gold. She slid one of the rings onto Rumple's left hand and he to her ring and slid it on her finger.

"And now, we kiss." They brought their lips together and kissed, presenting their true love to the world.

* * *

Henry flipped up the hood of his cloak to disguise him and swung his legs off the saddle of his horse. He quickly walked into a dirty bar. Such eating establishments were common in the villages, but never going to one, Henry was disgusted. Such poor hygiene. No matter, there was a matter he had to attend to inside.

There was a man sitting in the corner swirling his ale in a glass mug. Henry joined him at his table. The man looked up at Prince Henry. "Henry, it has been a long time."

Henry nodded and presented a bag of gold coins. "I have a favor to ask of you. I need your magical assistance."

"I am listening."

* * *

Cora, who was clinging onto Regina, led Rumple through a path in the forest. There was a break in the trees and out came a small green field and a small pool of water. "My mother brought me here before she died. I had always have dreams of bringing my children here."

Rumple took a blanket out of the basket he was carrying. He spread it out on the soft grass while Cora exchanged her extravagant dress for a simple pair of leather riding pants and a white shirt with loose sleeves that covered her hands. Cora set Regina down on the blanket and pulled Rumple's knife out of the basket. His name was no longer visible, but if you ran your finger over the surface, indentations of the letters that once were scrolled on it. They had brought it for safety reasons. She took a few pins out of her hair letting if cascade down her shoulders. She then took the knife to her hair slicing it shorter.

She turned to Rumple and did the same to his hair. She handed him the knife and he stuck it in his belt for safe keeping. She then conjured up a razor blade and fixed the stubble on Rumple's chin and making it smooth.

"You know, if I were you, I would not trust me with a razor or your dagger near you." Cora said making the razor blade disappear.

He grabbed her hand and placed it on his face. "Now why would I be worried that my wife would hurt me?"

Cora giggled. "You know I never thought of it like that."

She flicked off her heals and stuck her feet in the pool. Rumple unlaced his boots and began taking off his shirt. Cora raised her eyebrows in confusion. "It is not everyday we get to indulge in a good bath you know." He said as he stripped off the rest of his clothes and waded into the shallows. Cora smiled and did the same. She kept a careful eye of Regina as they bathed.

"It is nice to feel clean. I forgot how much hard work it was to run the mill," Cora said as she squeezed her hair letting a stream of water to fall into the pool.

"I forgot how nice it is to be married," Rumple said swimming closer to Cora. He grabbed her hips and brought her close to him. She gasped as he captured her lips. "You know, it has been a while..." he said with a smile. Cora hummed with approval and they kissed again.

"Well since we are married..." she said with a smirk.

* * *

"We need to get more food for tomorrow. Can you help me grind some flour in the mill so we can trade?" Cora said as she slid her feet back into the heals.

Rumple picked up sleeping Regina. He walked up to her and leaned down to let her kiss him. "Yes I do enjoy eating."

They folded back up the blanket and walked back into the forest. After a walk for a few minutes they saw where the wedding once was, now was abandoned. Cora began to hum a melody. It was a lullaby she would sing to Regina to lull her into sleep. She grabbed Rumple's arms and began to dance slowly with him, careful not to wake sleeping Regina in his arms.

"You know, I like this. Having a normal life," said Rumple.

Cora nodded in approval. "This is just what a loving family feels like."

"I never got to experience that before. My father abandon me and my mother and I never had true love for my first wife," he responded bitterly

"Well lets let this make up for it," she said with a smile.

Regina stirred a little beginning to wake. Cora bent down and grabbed a hand full of white flowers. She then took a hair-pin from the basket and attached a flower on it and slid it into Regina's short hair. "So young and already she is so beautiful." Rumple said as Cora dropped the extra flowers into his basket.

"Do you know how much I love you?" Cora asked.

"The same as I do."

"And how much is that?"

"Enough to fill the whole world. You are the only person I have ever truly loved."

"I would agree." She kissed him. Then her eyes fixed on her daughter. "And I love you to." She kissed the infants forehead.


	13. Chapter 13

Henry rode toward the milling town with his new companion traveling behind him. This is where the monster lived. This is where it is going to end. And the revenge would be complete. Henry had been to this town once before. He had come here with Cora to pick up a few of her personal belongings. Everything was so much happier than.

Now that he was engaged again, he was supposed to be happy. He, although was charmed by her good looks, was not in love with the woman. It was good for the kingdom. He was fourth in line to be king and all the court had shunned him for not having a family yet. All blue bloods must have a family to be respected. If he killed Cora, maybe they would give him some modicum of respect.

He came to the mill and to his surprise, he found Cora holding a small bundle, which he knew was her child. Henry signaled the man traveling with him to hide in the bushes. Henry then saw a man he did not recognize climbing in the mill, bringing down a bag of freshly ground flower and dropping it in a cart. He waited for the man to walk back into the mill and then approached Cora holding the knife. Cora quickly saw him coming and teleported behind him.

"Really Henry, do you think I would be that easy to finish off."Cora taunted gripping Regina tightly.

Rumple came out of the mill's back door. He saw a man behind the bushes. He recognized him as a young sorcerer that he had trained all those years ago.

The man from the bar received some kind of signal from Prince Henry and conjured up a ball of purple smoke. He trust this to Cora. It landed on her freezing her instantly. Rumple took a rope that he found on the ground. Henry was sauntering up to Cora slowly etching painful slices in her arm to make her suffer. Rumple took the rope and wrapped it around the man's throat cutting off all air and passing out.

Cora came unstunned and pushed Henry to the ground many feet back. He came running at Cora, but she couldn't enact her teleportation spell. She thought of another spell she could use to save herself, but then Regina stirred in her arms. Henry was also trying to kill Regina. Sudden panic clouded her mind.

"NO!" Cora yelled as she cast the protection spell on Regina, leaving her wide open. She attempted to avoid her fate long enough, cheating death was futile. The cold metal tore into her skin leaving a shock wave of pain rushing through her body. A scream left her lips, although she didn't hear it. She fell back knees buckling under her.

Rumple looked onto the act, a single tear dripped from his eye. "CORA!" He rushed to her side. He looked in her eyes to see panic. She was gasping for air and she grabbed at the knife which was stuck into her chest.

Henry looked at his gloves, cover in the scarlet, hot sticky liquid that was Cora's blood. His mind brought him back to the present. "What have I done?" he thought watching the man cry over the body of his lover.

Rumple stood up, with a sudden wave of magic emanated from his body.

Magic is emotion.

Henry was pushed back by the golden wave of magic. Rumpelstiltskin walked over to Prince Henry, who was now cowering over, propped up onto an apple tree. "Who are you?"

"Who do you think I am. I am the Dark One! And you are going to pay for what you have done!"

Henry quickly got up and ran away forgetting his horse and traveling companion.

As soon as he disappeared into the forest, Rumple turned back to Cora. She had ripped the knife out of her chest, a stream of blood pouring out of her body onto the soft grass. Baby Regina, who was still in Cora's arms was whimpering. She could tell something was wrong. Rumple noticed the knife, now discarded by his side. His rage grew.

"Rumple..." she gasped.

He turned his head and looked into her eyes. They were filled with pain. He lifted her head.

"Kiss me..."

"Cora..."

"Please. Just kiss it better."

He grabbed her hand. It felt colder. He leaned forward capturing her lips in his one last testament to his love toward Cora.

He let her go momentarily. She moaned in pain. Then she took a deep breath. "Take care of Regina... for me... I..." Her eyes filled with tears. "...I am not... not ready to die. I can't join... my mom."

"No! No! Your not going to die! You will be fine. We will leave this world and we will be happy, just you, me, and Regina." he pulled his dagger out of his belt. He shoved it in her hands.

"Shhhhhh... no." she pushed the dagger away and clutched Regina agents her chest. The dagger, as they had both seen it, no longer bore any sign of Rumple's cures. Love had set him free. Rumple grabbed her hand again. "Just stay with me... until... I fall... asleep... I... love... you..." she exhaled her final breath going limp in his arms.

"Cora. Cora. CORA!" He cried out hopelessly. "No you promised we would be together forever. It can't end like this! You can't leave Regina!" He squeezed her hand tighter. Then he leaded down and kissed her.

No response came. "No..." He began sobbing relentlessly. Her hand fell out of his laying limp on the soft grass in front of the mill. He took Regina out of her left arm, letting it fall to the ground to join the other. Regina had fallen asleep during this ordeal. Rumple covered his mouth so the sobs did not wake his sleeping child. Rumple gathered the flowers that they had collected after yesterdays wedding. He weaved them into Cora's chestnut hair. She deserved to be beautiful. He then closed her eye lids taking his last glimpse into her beautiful, young eyes.

"Goodbye my love. May we meet in another life time." He said laying one last kiss on cold lips.

**End part 1**

* * *

**A/N Just wanted to let you know that this was originally the ending (actually the first thing I wrote)to the story, however, I have decided to continue Rumple and Regina's story. No post tomorrow so I can come up with some fresh ideas. Please review!**


	14. Part 2 Chapter 1

**A/N Got lots of time to work on this today, so early release! And now, I am proud to present to you:**

**Love or Power Part II: ****Memories and Magic**

* * *

_It was there at that moment he realized that. They were on the balcony of the estate. The sun was setting a beautiful orange color. Her chestnut hair was blown behind her by the light breeze that made it through the barrier between them and the angry mob waiting for their head. She was beautiful._

_She took a deep breath through her nose and began to tear up. "What is wrong dearie?"_

_"I am just so happy Rumple!"_

_"Why would that be? Certainly not being trapped in this God forsaken estate!"_

_She turned to face him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Rumple, I am pregnant."_

_He stared blankly for a moment then responded. "That is wonderful Cora!" he put a hand on her dress where the baby growing inside her would be soon showing. "How long?"_

_"Not quite sure. It will be a surprise when she comes."He reached forward to brush her cheek. She grinned. "I don't remember you ever being so romantic."_

_Rumple smiled. " Well maybe that is because I love you more than ever before." He reached forward to kiss her, but he found nothing but air. The balcony faded leaving a world filled just with darkness._

_He heard the song again. Cora's song. So melancholy, but it was a beautiful lullaby. It became louder, and louder, until he could almost touch the source._

_He felt a tap on the shoulder. He quickly turned to see Cora humming. She was wearing a blood stained dress, a jagged tear in the dress where the knife had impaled her. "This isn't right. We kissed! I remember it!" Rumple yelled to her._

_"Well it is all just a memory now. You can't live in the past forever Rumple." Cora said turning away. She began to hum the song again. Why did she have to leave?_

_"No come back! Cora! Cora! CORA!"_

Suddenly, the landscape began to shake. Another voice began to overpower his ears blocking out Cora's humming.

"Papa! Papa!" small hands shook his dirty shirt and little knees jabbed into his side.

He grunted forcing open his eyes to see big brown eyes staring back. "Papa, you were yelling in your sleep again!"

**Five years later**

...

After Cora's death, Rumple loaded everything in the mill and left the milling village. He, however left Cora behind that day. A grave, the only monument left to her on the spot where a prince ripped her away. They moved near to the beach. He found a small plot of land of the busy path for sale and built a cottage on it. He had lived there with Regina ever since.

"Regina's birthday is tomorrow. She will be turning five. Five has it really been five years since Cora left me? She is the most beautiful child I have ever seen. She looks just like her, like Cora..." Rumple thought sitting up. Regina sat very still on her knees still in her nightgown staring at him.

Regina knew that everyone had a mommy, but she didn't. It had always been that way. Rumple had told her when she was young that Cora went away, but told her many stories about their life, excluding everything about magic. It was Cora's only request to keep magic away from their little girl. "Hey Papa? Will you sing me mama's song?"

Rumple sat up in bed looking into the little girls eyes. He nodded and began humming the tune. Regina soon joined in and playing with a her hair that draped over her shoulder. They reached the end of the song and Rumple hugged Regina tightly. "Where is mama?" She inquired.

Rumple blinked hard. "She is gone."

Regina cocked her head. "Where? Everyone else's mommy's come back when they go away."

Rumple picked up Regina and lead her to a window. He pushed open the white curtains. He pointed to the white puffy clouds in the sky. "There. That is where mama is."

Regina was confused. "Well can we go see her?"

"No. Not until we are much older."

"Well I am going to be older tomorrow! Can I see her then!"

Rumple shook his head. Regina frowned. He put her down and ran out of the room. She returned holding a dirty stuffed rabbit. The once fluffy fur was stuck to the sides from being well loved and played with often. She held it up above her head and pushed it into Rumple's arms. "Why are you giving this to me?" He said bending down to be the same height as her.

"Because you look sad, Papa, and you always told me that when I am sad, the bunny will make me feel better!"

Rumple smiled ruffling Regina's hair. "Come here, I have something I want to show you."

Regina scurried behind Rumple into the sitting room in their house. He retrieved something out of a high shelf. It was a brown wooden box with round handles on each side, a heart with a dagger through it on the front, and a gold lid with gold trim. He flicked open the lid. Regina put her little hands on his arm so she could look into the box. "What is that stuff?"

Rumple reached into the box and pulled out a knife. Regina quickly sat back on the bed and rolled off onto the floor. "Regina? Its okay!"

She stood up again looking at her father from the bunched up sheets of his bed. She slowly crawled back onto the bed and looked at the curvy dagger. "What is that?"

"This was mine." he paused for a moment, contemplating whether to tell the young girl about his true past. He decided that if he didn't tell her now, she would find out on her own. Now was as good of a time as ever. "I was once a dark magician and your mother broke my curse. This knife caused it."

Regina reached forward to touch it. Her finger pressed agents the edge causing a sliver to appear on her hand. "Owww! It is sharp!" small tears pricked her eyes.

He took her hand observing the sliver on the tip of one of her fingers. He took her into the eating room and washed it off under the water pump. He then took a strip of fabric and wrapped it around the finger. "There all better."

Regina grinned. Rumple re-entered the room and put the dagger back down onto the bed. He was glad the Regina was more interested in a now meaningless knife then his past magical abilities; less to explain to the curious mind of a child.

He reached into the box and pulled out a small stack of folded papers. He unfolded them revealing pictures of a woman Regina didn't recognize. "Who's that Papa?"

He picked up a drawing of the woman. She was wearing a flowey dress and wore her hair cascading down her back holding her stomach. "This is your mama Regina," he breathed. He moved his finger and pointed to the woman's stomach. "And this is you."

Regina looked at the drawing in wonder. "Mama is pretty! I can't wait to meet her!"

Rumple frowned. He envied Regina's ignorance. Cora wasn't going to meet Regina. She was dead. Dead is dead, not even magic can change that. "And she loves you so much."

Regina dug back down deeper into the box. She found many pictures of her mother and some of places she was unfamiliar with. They didn't keep her attention for long being descarded and traded for a new one. She unfolded the last drawing and furrowed her brow in confusion. This one was of someone different. "Who is this?" Regina inquired holding up the drawing.

Rumple took the picture from Regina's hands. Regina was right, this one was not of Cora. This was a drawing of a spirited teen riding a horse. It was Regina. "Some one you will meet," he stated as he ran his fingers through her wavy hair.

"I can't wait to meet her! She is just as pretty as mama!" Regina paused for a minute. "Is her name Cora?"

Rumple's eyes grew wide. "How do you know that name?"

"You were saying it in your sleep."

"Cora was your mama's name."

Regina picked up another picture of Cora that laid in the pile. "She looks like a Cora."

"Yah she did..."


	15. Part 2 Chapter 2

"Papa! Come quickly!" Regina yelled back to her father slowly limping up to join her on the beach. He caught up to her and she grabbed his hand. "Look at the sunset! Isn't it pretty?"

Rumple smiled at his daughter. "Of course it is beautiful. Go play in the water for a little while, I will sit here for a minute." Regina grinned and ran to the salty waters of the ocean while Rumple slowly lowered himself down to the sand.

"It all looks the same. Just like the day I proposed," he mumbled picking up a stick that had washed up on the shore. He began writing words in the sand; True Love, the most powerful magic of all. He tossed away the stick and turned to Regina who was playing in the water.

He had noticed many things about Regina that were very different than Bea. For one, she was a girl, but that was obvious to anyone who had common sense. She had a very free spirit and did whatever she felt like. She had even asked her father to teach her to ride their horse. She was a tomboy since she has had no mother figure in her life. She was not liked by the girls because she acted like a boy and the boys didn't like her because she was a girl. Rumple felt sorry for her, but they had each other.

Rumple sighed and leaned back to look into the sky. He was suddenly overcome with the need to close his heavy eyelids. He slowly gave in to the need drifting off into a heavy sleep.

* * *

_Humming. Darkness. These were the things he was overcome with as he walked the room. He saw her again, with her individual gait, walking toward him. Even in a dream she walked with such poise. Then she stopped as she walked toward him. "Why are you here?"_

_"I've always been here, you have just found me," she said sauntering closer. _

_"Where is here?" he asked. She just stood with a level head. Rumple shock his from side to side. "No, you are just a figment of my imagination. Your dead. You can't be here."_

_Cora cocked her hear leaning in closer to whisper something into his ear. She cupped her hands around her mouth and leaned in, careful not to touch him. "Who said that I'm not real?" She leaned back on her heals and the walked away fading into the darkness again. _

_"What?" Rumple yelled confused at her comments. He blinked hard suddenly seeing the orange glow of the sun._

* * *

Rumple moaned and sat up. "How long have I been asleep?" he thought before looking up in a panic. "Regina?" No response came. "Regina!"

The little girl playing in the water looked up. "What is wrong Papa?" she said running toward him.

Rumple shock him head. "We should be heading home." Regina pouted. Rumple pointed at the moon peaking over the horizon. "If we don't leave now, the werewolves will get you."

Regina put her hands on her hips. "Papa! Werewolves don't come out unless there is a full moon!"

Rumple shock his. "No. I know for a fact that they will be coming out tonight."

"Then we should get home fast so they don't get us!"

Rumple nodded taking Regina's hand and leading her off the beach. They reached their horse and Rumple hoisted Regina up. She grabbed the reins and Rumple climbed on. "Ready?" Regina nodded pulling the reins making the horse gallop forward into the darkness of the forest.

* * *

Rumple had taken the reins out of the little girls hands a few hours back. She had grown tired of riding and wished to camp, but Rumple pressed on allowing her to sleep as they rode slowly through the forest. He now stopped the horse and picked up Regina. He spotted a soft patch of grass and laid down a blanket for the two to sleep on. It was peaceful out here. Just each other.

He soon felt his eyelids heavy again and he shut them, drifting off into sleep.

There was a rustle of the bushes. And then voices. Not the sweet voice he usually heard in his dreams, but angered ones. Stern ones. Unfamiliar ones. He quickly snapped his eyes open to find a group of three men grabbing objects out of their horse's saddle; bandits.

One quickly snapped their head in Rumple's direction. He must have seen the movement. Regina began to stir. "No Regina. No don't wake up now." Rumple thought as he laid as still as he possibly could. The man walked toward the blanket with the two getting very close. Regina opened her eyes and them screamed. Rumple sat up quickly following, but it was too late. The man had grabbed Regina.

"Papa help!" Regina cried out. She stood up, but another bandit came at him with a knife. Rumple stopped and stood very still putting his arms up. Regina kept moving, trying to get away. The man grabbed her tighter wrapping one arm around her neck.

"DON'T HURT HER!" Rumple yelled in terror as he watched the bandit choke his precious daughter. Regina stared hopelessly, clawing at the arm of her attacker. She soon began to slow her movements, but then something happened. Something Rumple had hopped he would never see again.

A stream of blue magic emanated from little Regina's hands hurting her attacker. He fell back in pain. The other two bandits ran like cowards. Regina stared down at her hands. The nerves in her fingers tingled with the unfamiliar sensation of magic. It was something she had never experienced before. It was strange, and she liked it. Rumple quickly took her out of the haze she was in by grabbing her hand and pulling her behind him and he ran.

His limp made running very painful, but if the men caught up, what would they do to Regina. He quickly hoisted up Regina and he climbed on behind her. He took the reins in his hands giving it a quick slap. The horse whinnied and galloped at full speed ahead.

* * *

They had spent the majority of the last few hours completely silent. Then eventually, Regina spoke. "What did I do to those men?"

"You stunned him."

"But how? It was something with my hands."

Rumple paused for a moment. "Magic. Your mother and I both had magic when you were born. That means you probably inherited it from one or both of us."

Regina seemed intrigued by this. "You have magic, Papa?"

"Not anymore. I once had very dark magic, but your mother broke my curse."

"Then why do I have magic."

"Well there is a legend that children born from true love all contain the ability to use magic. True love is the most powerful magic of all, so it only makes sense to produce the most powerful magic in all the land."

"I'm glad you and mama have true love. It saved us."

"Me too sweet heart."


	16. Part 2 Chapter 3

"Papa, can we keep all of these apples?" Regina asked as she pulled another apple off of the tree they had planted.

Rumple plucked another and handed it to Regina. "We need to sell these at the market today, but you can keep one." Regina grinned going up on her tip toes to reach another apple. "Now make sure you get the ones at the top." Regina climbed into the tree with the basket on her arm. She soon reemerged at the bottom with the basket almost filled to the top. "That's my little girl."

Regina stopped. "I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm five!" she corrected confidently. Rumple took the basket for her hands and took it to the cart. There were a few things to sell inside including some wool, rope, and the newly added apples. Regina climbed into the cart and grabbed the apple on the top and bit into it. It was her favorite food. Cora also enjoyed apples too, but with Regina, it was like a treat more appreciated than the small cakes and candies the other children would scream for in the market. It made a good bribe when she was being fussy or didn't complete one of her chores.

Rumple climbed in and grabbed the reins of the two horses drawing the cart. The began moving forward at an even pace to the closest market. It was close to a port where many fishermen stopped to restock their ships, so there were many opportunities to make a sale. Everything the same every week. They went into the market and sold the wool to a person at the textiles stand, the apples to the man at the fruit stand, and they would give the rope to a set group of customers that wished to buy weekly. They then went back the road home.

There was a yell from down the hill they were riding on. Rumple halted the horses and Regina climbed out of the back of the cart. "Papa! There is a royal carriage down there! It looks like it is from King Gorges realm!" Rumple stepped out of the cart and looked up over the hill and saw the guards breaking down the door to the small cottage. They ran inside pulling out a small family of four. First a woman, then two boys, and then they drag out a man and throw him out in front of the other three.

"Please, I don't know what I have done, but don't hurt my family!" the man begged the guards. One stepped forward with his sword drawn.

"You have laced the animal you gave to us with poison. Poisoning a wonderful leader like the king, it is unforgivable," the guard said drawing nearer. One of the boys stepped forward.

"No! Don't hurt my dad!" He pleaded. The guard stepped back.

"We will spare you, but only if we can take one of your sons for the king to raise as his own."

The man shook his head. "No. Not my boys." The guard returned to his previous position pressing the sword up to the man's neck.

Regina gasped in horror. She quickly began to run forward, but Rumple grabbed her wrist. "Papa! Let go! I can save them!"

"No. Regina we can't go over there."

"But I have magic! Mama and you made me that way. I need to use it to help!"

"No we need to go!"

From down the hill a blood curling cry came from the man and the cries from the other three. "Take the larger one. Leave the scrawny."

Rumple covered Regina's eyes. This was something she would rather not see for a few years. Decapitation. What a sad fate.

"James!" the woman's cry for her son made Regina cringe as Rumple placed her in the cart.

* * *

They made it home finally. It had been such a long day. "Papa please teach me how to use magic!"

"Regina I told you no. And no is no!" Rumple said sternly.

"But what would be so bad about it?"

"Because magic killed your mother!" Rumple yelled before covering his mouth. Regina took a step back.

"But, you said... Mama... I won't see her again?" Regina asked tears filling her eyes. Rumple shook his head. Regina ran into her room slamming shut her door. Rumple slumped down into the stool at his spinning wheel. He wasn't supposed to tell her yet. She was supposed to be happy.

He waited a few minutes, hearing her crying was becoming unbearable. He knocked on her door. "Regina, Regina sweety," he said opening the door to find the little girl already wrapping her little arms around his waist. He hugged her back in comfort.

The little girl whimpered into his vest. The little girl, who always acted so grown up, just wanted to be comforted. "I know, I felt this way too."


	17. Part 2 Chapter 4

Seven years later

...

_It was the black room again. It had been a while since Rumple had seen been in this room. He always looked forward to the nights when his dreams would take him here; The only time he would see his beloved wife. It always started the same, the humming. He turned, knowing out of past experiences that she would be behind him. And he was right. She was standing there. As beautiful as the day she died, with the exception of the laceration in her chest where Prince Henry's dagger had impaled her._

_"Long time, no see Rumple. I am surprised that you haven't come back to me sooner," she said slyly. He reached out to touch her, but she backed away. "Why is it that you haven't taken a new wife? You know that truly would benefit Regina. I know there is a woman who has eyes for you."_

_Rumple shook his head. "I could never love another." The went silent. Usually in these conversations, they would just reminisce in their pasts. Memories, something no one could take away. "How do I even know if you are real. I mean, this could be all in my head."_

_"Of course it is all in your head, but does that mean that this isn't real? Magic is truly a power to behold."_

_"Prove it."_

_"Pardon?"_

_"Prove you are real"_

_There was a pause. Cora seemed to be shocked at this request. She soon composed herself and continued. "There is something I want Regina to have. It is at the mill where I grew up and where I died. No one will be living in the mill but a few rodents. It is hidden under the floorboards. Under where I placed our bed, the fourth board from the wall will contain no agents to keep it down. Lift it up and give what is in there to Regina. Tell her that it belonged to me."_

_Rumple nodded as Cora turned and walked away. He was not ready for the dream to end. "Wait, Cora!" She turned around at the sound of his voice."I love you."_

* * *

"Where are we going, Papa?" Regina asked climbing onto her horse next to the one her father was mounted on.

Rumple shrugged. "I need to get something that I had forgotten about a long time ago."

"Well we should go fast. I have some other things I would like to get done today."

"Well don't expect to be back here tonight. We are going on a long journey."

"Really? Papa, I have things I have to get done. You want to eat, don't you? I know I do!" Regina snapped to her father.

Rumple frowned. She really did inherit Cora's short temper."Regina.."

"I know. I can't always have what I want." Regina replied hastily, "I just don't like going hungry because we have nothing to trade with."

Rumple pulled an apple out of the satchel and tossed it to Regina. She quickly took a large bite out of it. "Thank you. Now we must be going now if you want any hope of getting home by dark."

* * *

Rumple lead Regina on horse back through the maze of mills and to the small forest that parted the one that he had lived in with Cora from the others. Just like Cora said, it was empty, no one around with the exception of a few animals. Just they way he left it, just a little bit more, well, it was filthy. Cora would have a fit if she was here. She had always wanted it to be immaculate.

"Where are we? Did we get lost?" Regina asked swinging her legs off the side of the horse. She looked around until her eyes fixated on a stone slab that was sticking out of the ground. It read: Here lays Cora of the Millers. Beloved wife and mother.

"No. We are supposed to be here. Trust me." Rumple said carefully placing his foot on the ground. He noticed Regina staring at Cora's grave. She looked empty. It was of course, the first time in her memory that she would see her mother.

He walked behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. She jumped at the unexpected contact. "Let's just get what ever you need and the we can have this over with." She said wiping away a few tears that had gathered on her rosy cheeks.

Rumple left his daughter to collect herself as he entered the old mill. He found himself beginning to tear up. He had spent many of the happiest days of his life here. And he had just left it all behind to collect dust. It was becoming painful just to be here.

He quickly went to where Cora and his bed once sat and ripped up the floorboard with no nails. Underneath there was a medium-sized box. He gasped. As far as he knew, dreams were just your imagination wandering while you slept, mere fantasies. But this, this was prof that what was going on in his dreams, it was real. Cora, she was real.

He picked it up, flipping open the lid. From within a familiar melody rang out. It was Cora's song. He sat holding the box open until the song began to slow and then stop. He continued as he pulled something out of the box which was very familiar. A book with a ruby heart on the front. So Cora did want their daughter to learn magic after all.

He thought for a moment. Was teaching her how to use magic really their best option. They may be struggling to get by, but they had a good life. Magic could interfere.

Regina walked in to find her father smiling at the book in the corner. "What is that?"

Rumple smiled. "Just something from your mother." He reached over to the box. "This is for you."

* * *

Regina sat on her horse again turning the crank to play the song on the music box yet again. "I never knew that Mama's song was actually real."

"I didn't either. I am glad to see that you like it. Your Mama told me you would."

Regina looked into the box again. She saw a small glisten as a ray of sun shown on the edge of the curious music box. "Papa, do you have a knife or something sharp I can use?" she asked not averting her attention from the box.

"Why on earth would you need that?"

"I think I have found something!"

Rumple handed her a pin that was on the horse's reins. She moved around in the box carefully. Soon she pulled it out reveling a golden chain with a gold heart on it . She handed back Rumple the pin and admired the necklace that was left in the box. "Your mother made that years ago, using her magic," he said admiring the intricate details that Cora had etched into the pendent.

Regina smiled as she clasped the necklace around her neck. "Why didn't you give this to me sooner?"

"Well, I didn't even know it was here until last night."

"Last night? But no one came to our house all day?"

Rumple exhaled heavily. How to tell her without sounding insane. " I don't know how to tell you this, but... I have been seeing your mother in my dreams."

Regina just stared blankly. "Magic?"

"Yes."

"Why can you see her and I can't? You know, I have always wanted to meet her."

"I don't know. I don't even control when I see her."

Rumple climbed onto his horse, clutching the book Cora had left for their daughter. It was filled with straight up spells. Even the most dimwitted magicians could quickly master any spell within the pages. Even his daughter. But now wasn't the right time. He would ask Cora in his dreams. She was the one who had directed him to it in the first place. They rode off into the forest again, Regina playing her music box over and over again.

* * *

_There was a change from the normal beginning to these dreams. There was no humming. Cora just walked up to Rumple this time. "So, you know I'm real now."_

_He nodded. "And now you understand that this is the last time I can see you." He shook his head. _

_"Why do you have to leave me Cora? I don't know what to do! I am lost! I am confused! I need your help!"_

_Cora blinked hard stepping back. "Trust me when I say, teaching her magic will be best." She turned around and walked away. "I love you Rumple."_

* * *

**A/N I am so sorry this chapter took so long to post. I had a gig last night and the night before, so there was little time to write and edit this chapter. Thanks for your patients! Please review!**


	18. Part 2 Chapter 5

Rumple sat in his bed and stared at the ceiling. Just stared. He was shocked by Cora's words. She had always insisted on keeping magic out of Regina's life. Now she had told him that it was in her best interest? No, that would never happen. Magic killed Cora. No way he would ever consider letting his daughter even have a chance of sharing her fate. He slid the book into the basket he would be taking to the market the next day and covered it with a few spare objects he no longer wanted. Maybe he could make some coppers by selling it.

He got up and walked into the kitchen where Regina was already frying up some eggs in an old pan for breakfast. "Good morning Papa."

"Good morning."

"Will we be going to the market today? These are the last eggs we have."

"Sure I will ready the cart. I do have a few things I wish to sell." He walked out the door to find a chilling wind causing him to shiver. Dark clouds were forming over head. Winter was coming quickly. It was to be a cold season. How unpleasant.

"I hope we can harvest the rest of the apples before winter comes." she said as she took one out of a crate on the counter.

"Those trees can live in temperatures bellow freezing. The apples will live for a few more days."

"Okay then. Please eat." Regina said handing him a plate with the eggs.

* * *

The horses shoes clacked quickly on the cobblestone road. A light powder of snow fell from the sky giving the plants a small layer of ice. The horses were becoming unruly for they disliked this unusual weather. They hadn't even made it to the market yet and they were already having problems.

"We should turn around now while we still can!" Regina yelled through the howling wind. "This storm will become a blizzard.

Rumple pulled on the reins of the horses to halt them, but his attempts were futile making them only move faster and faster until the cart ran into a ditch and one of the wheels broke and the bar connecting the cart and the horses snapped in two. The horses ran off leaving the small family stranded.

"Regina! Are you alright?" Rumple asked as he lifted himself out of the cart.

"Other then being deserted in the middle of nowhere with no food or way home, I am fine." she said climbing out of the cart and helping out her crippled father. Rumple smirked at the remark as they climbed back to the road.

"There is no hope in looking for the horses now."Rumple said looking off in the distance for any sign of movement. Regina frowned dusting off the specks of snow that covered her jumper.

"How will we ever be able to pay for this? Our horses are gone, we have little food left, and now we have no way to even get to the market at all." Regina complained.

"We will be able to make up the money. We just have to get home." He limped onto the road with Regina following behind him.

Regina looked over at her father to see a scarlet stain growing on the cuff of his off white shirt. "Your hurt?" She grabbed his arm to see a small laceration in his wrist dripping with blood. She reached into the basket to pull out a piece off wool. She wrapped the wool around his arm stopping the blood from flowing. "That's better, isn't it."

She put back the remnants of the wool into the basket, but something caught her eye. A book with a ruby heart on the cover. She pulled the book out of the basket observing the intricate designs of the cover. She flipped it open to find pages filled with strange symbols. "What is this?"

Rumple looked and then suddenly panicked inside. She was not supposed to find it. "It's a book."

"Well I can see it is a book, but I was referring to the scribble in the book. I don't know what any of this even means."

"That book is none of your concern. Just put it back in the basket and we can get going."

Regina looked back down at the page she had opened. The page was coated with a thin layer of snow. She blew lightly on the page to remove it, but found something else in surprise. A thin brown smoke rose out of the pages. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Maybe it was just a hallucination caused by her hitting her head when the cart crashed.

Suddenly, a strange sensation washed over her. Rumple turned around to see what was keeping his daughter, but found a scene he wished to never see. Her once dark brown eyes were now glowing a deep purple and purple sparks gathered around her fingertips.

"Papa! What is this!" she yelled dropping the book into the snow. "This magic! It is scaring me! Make it stop!"

Rumple stood in shock. His little girl was now in possession of magic. He touched her hands feeling the familiar tingle of magic on his fingers. He defused the spell from her and watched the fear leave her eyes.

"Why did you have a spell book in the pile of things we were planing to sell?"

"It belonged to your mother. I didn't want you to find it and we need the money."

Regina frowned. "Is this going to hurt me?"

"No."

She exhaled heavily. She picked up the book from the snow and put it back into the basket. "Well I don't want anything to do with it."

Rumple smiled. He was glad at his daughter's determination to stay away from magic. They continued walking down the street. It was going to be a long journey home.

* * *

It had been a long time since they lost the horses, and it seemed like they were only halfway home. A group of horses followed by a carriage was coming toward them on the street. At first glance, it was just a traveling party, but then Rumple looked closer. It was a royal carriage.

Regina, being the way she was, stepped to the side of the road. Rumple however stood still in the middle. "Papa, what are you doing? Get out of the way!" The horses drew nearer to him, but he would not move out of the way of the people who stole away his wife.

Regina bowed down while Rumple stood still with his head held high. The guard in front climbed off of the horse and grabbed Rumple by the shoulders moving him to a man on a stallion behind the barrier of guards.

"Bow before your Prince Henry, peasant." the guard demanded. Rumple just stood there.

Prince Henry looked at Rumple curiously. "Hold him still." Henry demanded.

A woman climbed out of the carriage holding her swollen stomach and the other was attached to the hand of a small child. "What is the delay in our journey?" she asked trying to hold the unruly child.

Regina just stood of to the side clutching her basket tightly in her hands. Why did her father choose now to be so proud?

Henry climbed off of the horse and stared into Rumple's eyes. Rumple saw it. The glint in eyes. Henry knew who it was. "Run Regina!"

Regina suddenly darted into the forest leaving behind her father. Another guard slid from his horse and ran after her.

Henry looked back at Rumple. "So. This is what has become of the dark one. The all powerful Rumpelstiltskin." The guard pushed him to the ground. Prince Henry kneeled down to lift his chin. "And that is her daughter, isn't it."

Rumple didn't respond. Henry pulled a knife out of his belt and slit a small line on Rumple's face. "Isn't it!" Rumple's eyes slightly softened accidentally giving Henry the confirmation he wanted. "Find that girl. Find her and kill her!"


	19. Part 2 Chapter 6

Regina ran as fast as she could, picking up her jumper with her free hand to allow her knees more freedom. She would look back every few strides to see the guards chasing her fall farther and farther back into the horizon. Ahead she saw a barn with it's doors left wide opened. It seemed to be an ideal hiding spot. She quickened her pace so the guards could no longer see her and she stumbled through the barn doors falling flat on her face dropping the basket.

The men were moving quickly as their armor clanked past her hiding spot. When she was certain they were all gone, she exhaled heavily panting to catch her breath again. She slumped down on the wall.

There was the sound of thunder quietly in the distance. She braced herself, and grabbed an old wool blanket her father was planning to sell from the spilled contents of the basket. It was itchy, but it kept in the warmth. She collected all of the objects spilled out onto the floor from her fall and placed the into a pile out in front of her. Some rope, spun wool, wool, and three old plates (which were now shattered into little clay shards), and the book. That book, filled with magic. As her Papa had told her, magic does horrible things to good people. It killed her mom. Maybe it would make good firewood? She would need to start a fire or she would soon freeze.

The sound of galloping horse brought her out of her deep thought. She covered her few possessions with the blanket and then brought it over her face. The horse was brought into the stables and some one got off with a slight grunt. It was a man's voice. One she did not recognize. For a moment there was no movement, but then she heard footsteps coming toward her. She braced herself as a hand pulled back the top of the blanket.

She squinted at the light but then a face came into her vision. It was nothing but a boy. He was no royal, but he looked gentle. "Are you alright?" he asked offering her a hand.

She leaned back, not trusting the stranger. "It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you." She reluctantly offered her hand and he pulled her up. She observed the man, well boy as it turned out. He appeared older than her, but not much. He wore the same kind of clothing that she wore, signifying that he was of the working class. He appeared trustworthy, but looks can be deceiving.

"Thank you." she responded humbly staring up into his blue eyes. She quickly pulled her hand out of his and picked up her blanket and the things Rumple were planning to trade. She quickly shoved them in the basket and fixed a piece of out of place hair hanging down the center of her face, pushing it behind her ear.

"What is your name?" the boy asked. Regina just looked down at her feet, choosing not to respond. He got bored and continued on his own. "My name is Daniel."

She again did not respond. "Are you the new stable girl?" He asked. Regina shook her head quickly. "Then what are you doing here? This is a privet stable."

She just stood still gripping the handle of the basket tightly causing her knuckles to turn white. A tear dripped out of her eye accidentally rolling down her cheek. Daniel saw the tear and reached forward to wipe it off of her cheek. "I'm sorry. I wasn't yelling at you."

She looked up fro the ground. "I was running from someone who was going to kill me." Daniel took a step backward."I don't know why they were and it is making me scared. They took my Papa and I don't know where I am."

Daniel stepped forward again. "What village do you live in?"

Regina shook her head. "Why should I trust you?"

"Because I want to help."

"No one helps for no good reason. They always want something in return."

"I don't need anything in return. You are in need, and to honor my father, I must help you."

Regina thought for a moment. He had given her no reason not for her to trust him. "Well if you can provide me with a horse, you can come with me."

* * *

Rumple was sitting in a private jail cell in the royal castle. He was currently there for crimes against Prince Henry. His crime, harboring a wanted criminal. His crimes, still valid even thought committed so long ago. They were not actually crimes. Cora herself asked to go with him. He knew that this was not the real reason he was being kept in prison. It was for stealing Henry's fiancé.

A guard entered the section of the jail that he was being kept in followed by the Prince. Rumple turned around as to not make eye contact with the Prince. "Rumpelstiltskin, I have questions for you."

Rumple did not respond crossing his legs on the ground of his jail cell. "You will look at me when I talk to you or you will not recessive any meals for the remaining days until the next full moon."

Rumple reluctantly turned facing Henry. "Where is the girl?"

"Her name is Regina." Rumple snapped back.

"Where is she!"

"I don't know! What do you need of my daughter?"

"She has, as I have figured out, inherited Cora and your magical abilities. As a safe guard, we have decided to kill her."

Rumple snapped up off the ground and gripped the bars of my jail cell. "You have killed my wife! I will not let you do the same to my daughter!"

"Where is your dagger?"

"I have long since forgotten its location for it has no power!"

Henry raised his eyebrow in confusion. "You mean you no longer have your powers?"

"No! Cora broke my curse with love! True love!" Rumple yelled to Prince Henry.

Henry looked at the guard, who nodded and shot a beam of invisible magic to Rumple slamming him against the hard wall of the cell. Rumple attempted at sitting up, but failed to do so, being that his back was burning in pain. He laid still on the filthy cell floor as still as possible to no cause himself more pain. Henry turned back to Rumple again. "Now for a rather different question. This one is for my wife."

Rumple raised his eyebrow. Who was his wife to him? A woman walked in and stood in the spot next to Henry holding her large stomach. "Hello. Master. So we meet again. But it seems the roles are switched now. I get the upper hand. You are no longer my master" She hissed.

She moved one hand from her stomach to her husband's hand and pressed her face into the bars of the jail cell as Rumple slowly sat up. "When I was younger and you took me as your servant, you did something for my parents in return. Where are they! And what have you done to them!"


	20. Part 2 Chapter 7

Rumple was shocked as to see this woman from his past yet again. "Evelyn, I am so glad you have finally returned to me. It seems you have forgotten the straw I asked you to get. Really I didn't know you to take almost thirteen years to complete a simple task that would take a mere three days or less."

Evelyn sneered at her ex-master's remarks. "I have made myself a princes. Climbed to power! I no longer need to head your every call!" Rumple had become bored and began writing something on the floor by moving piles of dirt out of the way. "Where are my parents!"

Rumple stood up, trying to revert back to his persona as the dark one, but his confidants failed him. "Why, you still remember them? They asked me for gold, you know. It is why they came to me in the first place." He began pacing the cell, with every other stride a limp. "They said that the farm they were living on was going to get taken from them unless they could pay their taxes. I gave them gold, but at a price which they agreed. You."

Evelyn turned around as to not make eye contact. "They would never give me away just like that." she muttered.

Rumple smiled at this woman's confusion. "I know I would never give away my little girl just like that. They seemed happy just to give you to me. Relieved actually."

"No! My parents loved me! They would never do something like that!" she turned to face Henry. "Let him rot in here! Do whatever you can do to make this lieing man to suffer." Henry smiled running his hand through Evelyn's hair. She quickly left the two behind slamming the door which led out of the prison and to the castle. Henry then turned to a guard and whispered a few instructions into his ear. The guard nodded and then left the two to be alone.

Rumple was pleased with himself, angering the princess like that, a large grin showing on his face. Henry, however, was deeply displeased with Rumple's "lies". "You know Regina was supposed to be my daughter. No your's. She was to belong to me!" Rumple laughed a little to himself.

"Regina does not belong to anyone."

"No she won't for very much longer." Rumple turned to look at this prince in the eyes seeing nothing but anger. "She has the burden of two penalties. The first, her magic. She is a threat to the kingdom!"

"She is no threat! She is just an innocent child!"

"SECOND!" Henry yelled to stop Rumple's talking, "She has inherited all crimes committed against the royal family by Lady Cora. For both of these penalties, the only solution will be her death. Even you should know that no one is innocent."

Rumple began to feel his rage build up inside as he clenched his fists. "If you so much as lay a finger on my little girl, I will not hesitate to end you. It is not her crimes to pay!"

Henry turned around to leave. "How do you plan on hurting me with out your power?" he asked his last question as he left the prison.

* * *

The snow was falling faster and the wind was becoming unbearable against her bare hands. She still clutched the reins of the horse, careful not to let go. She halted the horse at the top of a hill where she could see most of the houses in the village. A boy rode up to join her. She pointed down at one of the larger houses down the hill. "There. That is where I live." The boy nodded and commanded his horse to go down the slope. Regina followed not to far behind.

It had taken all night to reach the small village. Their stomachs growled from hunger and their hands ached at the cold. It was a good relief to see shelter. Regina got off of her horse short of her house and walked up to a tree. It's branches covered in a thick layer of snow, it still bore a few apple which she plucked off of the branches.

She then lead the horse to the small barn which was behind her house. She put it in the stall once occupied by her father's horse, however it ran away when the cart broke the day before. She put the horse of Daniel in her stall and gave them both a large helping of hay to help them recover from the long journey. She then went over to the cow in the next stall over. She milked it into a tin bucket. When full, she lugged it back into the house and placed it on the table.

She allowed the boy inside as he took in his surroundings. He soon took a seat at the table in the center of the room. Off to the side there was a sitting area and two door, which lead to bed chambers. On the other side was a kitchen area. It was a bit larger then it looked from the outside, and everything inside was very clean. Regina cut an apple into small pieces and placed them on the table. She then poured both herself and her guest a glass of milk and then sat down with a sigh of relief.

"I can not thank you enough for helping me. Without the horses, I would have frozen to death last night in the barn."

Daniel smiled. "Well thank you for the food. It has been a while since I have had an apple." he said observing one of the crisp slices before tossing it in his mouth.

Regina nodded. "Papa says they help make you strong. Besides, I like the taste, so we have grown them ever since I was a little girl."

There was a long pause in the conversation. "So, how are you going to get back to your stables?"

Daniel shook his head. "They don't belong to me. I just work there."

"So, do you work with your father? You mentioned him before we left."

"No, nothing like that." he paused for a moment to eat another slice of apple. "My mother works for the family who owns the stable. I don't see her very much anymore. My father, however, was injured years ago in a riding accident. He fell off the horse and hit his head on a rock bellow. I has never been the same. He can't move anymore on his own and can barely talk." a tear dripped out of his eye. "He doesn't even know who I am. The only ones he knows are mother and grandmother."

Regina recoiled a bit. "Oh! I am so sorry! I didn't mean to bring up painful memories."

He wiped his face in the crook of his arm, drying the tear and trying to suck up his sadness. "It feels better to talk about it. I haven't had anyone to talk with since I took his job at the stables but the horses. It seems you understand what it is like to be without a parent."

Regina nodded and took a sip of milk out of her glass. "I lost my mother. Years ago. I don't remember her. All I have are pictures." She reached over and grabbed a box off the counter. She opened the lid allowing a bitter-sweet melody to ring out over the room. "And a few things she left behind."

"Well I was talking about your father being arrested, but it is all the same." Regina reached into the box and pulled out a necklace and clasped it around her neck. "It isn't enough, is it?"

"No, it never is."


	21. Part 2 Chapter 8

**A/N This is the last chapter for daily updates until July 2nd. I will be going on vacation and will have no computer to write these chapters on. I will try to write as many as I can before we leave and post them over the two weeks I will be gone and I will need a few days to get a new chapter written and posted once I get back. Sorry for the inconvenience**

* * *

The song on the music box ended leaving the room silent. Regina shut the lid and put it back on the counter. Daniel folded his arms on the table and laid his head there. He had been exhausted from their journey. He soon fell asleep on the table. Regina took the apple slices that were left untouched and ate them quickly. She threw the plate in the sink and instead of watching out like she usually did, she left the dirtied plate in the sink. She was so tired that she didn't even bother to clean the crumbs off of the table.

She quickly sat on the sofa in the sitting room and closed her eyes drifting off into sleep. It was a sweet dream that she had appeared in. This was a nice change from the usual fearful sights she saw.

She was sitting in a push arm chair in a large room. Every thing had appeared to be luxury grade, even the garments she wore felt soft against her skin. Her father was in rather regal attire as well and someone was behind her and they slid their fingers through her hair. She turned to see who it was, but a clasp of thunder started her out of her peaceful sleep allowing all memories of its warmth behind.

She quickly sat up looking at the window seeing the snow fall in sheets. It was already up to the mid-line of the window. Daniel too sat up and shivered in the cold of the house. Regina got up from her place on the couch and dragged a block of wood into the fireplace and tried to find a match.

"Do you need any help?" Daniel asked starting to get up.

Regina's eyes wandered from Daniel's to the basket she had discarded earlier that morning on the ground. The book. So strange, it was opened to a fire spell which had been bookmarked by a pressed red rose.

She picked up the book and turned around so Daniel did not see her. She blew on the pages and inhaled the strange colored smoke that came off of it. She felt the same sensation she had felt earlier, the magic ran through her veins and produced a ball of fire on her finger tips.

Daniel's eyes grew wide as he saw the her hand not burn at the contact with the fire. She then put her hand to the wood she had previously placed in. They instantly caught warming the room. Regina turned around to find Daniel staring at her. "Please don't tell anyone!" Regina said as she noticed that he had seen what she could do.

"You have magic?"

"Well what would that be if not magic?"

"It is just, you are too nice to be a magician."

"Well, not all magic is bad. Many people just use it for evil."

"I don't think I have ever seen that."

"My Papa used it to save my life once, well when he had magic." she was beginning to become angry with the boy, she continued, "And fairies have magic, good magic."

"Well. If you have magic, then why don't you use it to save your father?"

"I don't know how."

* * *

Regina had sat for a few hours searching through the book. She remembered yesterday it had made no sense, but at second glance, it was not nonsensical. Although many of the words she didn't understand, but the pictures and symbols all represented things in her life that she could associate with magic she has seen or she could imagine.

She blew on the page again releasing now purple smoke off of the page. She felt herself change slightly. Daniel looked up at her as if she was an alien. "Did you always have highlights?"

"What?"

"Your hair, it is different."

Regina dashed into her father's room to retrieve a hand mirror. She ran back out and brought it to her face to see her long hair to be a shade lighter a few natural dark strands of hair stood out from the rest. She also felt a bit taller, looking at her feet which looked farther away then the usually did. "Darn it!" She yelled slamming down the book in anger. "I used the wrong spell!"

She turned to face Daniel once more. She could was closer to eye level now, she only had to look up slightly to make eye contact. "Can you reverse it?" he asked. Regina looked down at the book and cast a spell surrounding her in purple smoke again. She became shorter again and her hair reverted back to its previous shade. She held up the mirror and checked her work, ensuring that everything was they way it was supposed to be.

Daniel walked over to the book and picked it up off of the floor. He had seen how Regina had gotten the magic off of it's pages. He blew on the same page the she had, expecting it to emanate a purple smoke. He was however disappointed as nothing happened. "I guess I don't have the kind of gift you have."

Regina shook her head placing the mirror down on the crummy kitchen table. "If you talk to my Papa, he will tell you it is more like a curse." She looked down at the floor. "He told me that only people born of true love or those direct descendants of magicians can even have it, and there is only a chance you get magic even at that! If true love makes the most powerful magic of all, why would it create something so dangerous?"

Daniel put his hand on her back and began rubbing it. She smiled slightly up at him. "I'm sorry. I am just so confused right now."

Regina took the book from his hands and flipped through its pages to find another symbol which looked familiar. She released the spell from the pages and breathed in its familiar warmth and it gave her the same sensation running thought her veins.

She soon stood up and purple smoke pooled at her feet. It quickly rose over her head with a simple raise of her arms. As the smoke cleared from the room, Daniel found himself alone. She found herself outside with a bone chilling sensation of the snow under her bare feet. She quickly repeated the action teleporting herself back into her house with Daniel.

"I did it! I can find my father!"


	22. Part 2 Chapter 9

**A/N This is probably not my best chapter because I quickly wrote this before my family left for the airport. Please excuse anything wrong with it, I only had a few minutes to edit it. Special thanks to my friend who let me to use her computer to post this :) Please review!**

* * *

"So how does it work? The teleporting thing I mean." Daniel asked marveled at her abilities.

"Well it is hard to explain really. I have to think of a place and I focus on it really hard until I can picture myself there. And then when I stop focusing, and I am in the place I was imagining myself in." She explained.

"Well then, how will this help you find your father?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you even know where he is right now?"

Regina stared at her book, and searched through the text to see if it spoke of anyway to teleport directly to a person. She however found nothing, only explanation of how to use the spell to take you to a place you have been before. "NO! Then I have failed my father!" She yelled burying her head in the books pages.

A moment of silents passed as they thought. Daniel sat up a little as he explained his only idea. "Well, you could go back to where the guards were trying to take you. You said they had your father on his knees there. They have probably taken him away to some place close to that location."

Regina flipped through the pages of her spell book again. Sure enough, she found a tracking spell that could trace the traveling party to where ever they took her father. "Brilliant! I can just track them from the last place I have seen him."

"I best be returning to the stables now. I wouldn't want to keep you from finding your masters will probably be looking for me right about now anyway."

Regina stepped to the door and opened it. "Thank you so much for all you have done for me. You may take your horses home with you, for I will not be needing them and they are not mine to keep. I don't know how I can repay you for the help you have given me." She stepped forward and stood on her tiptoes wrapping her arms around his neck.

"There is nothing you must do for repayment. I have enjoyed spending sometime away from the stables with another person for a change."

Regina removed her hands from his neck and stepped back again. "I hope I get to see you again one day."

"If you need me, you know where to find me."

Regina nodded. She lead Daniel to the barn in the back of her father's property. He took the two horses and a small bag of apple that Regina had provided him

He turned and waved to Regina. She reciprocated the gesture and waved back. Daniel walked back up the small hill and into the forest disappearing into the trees. Regina quickly darted back into the small house and went into her father's room. She stood on her tiptoes to reach the top shelve of the cabinet in the corner. In the cabinet there was a box that contained memorabilia which Rumple had kept from when he was younger which she removed and placed on his bed.

She took a few things off of the top of the box to find something buried underneath . There were many pictures of her mother that she recognized from when she was a child and one of another woman. She took a hard look at her and then she noticed something. There was a scar on her upper lip. One in the same place as the one she had gotten when she had fallen through the branches of an apple tree years ago. This girl was her. She looked to happy riding a horse and wearing such nice clothing. It must have been a nice occasion to wear such nice attire. It was nice to know that she would be happy again.

She reluctantly folded it back up and dug deeper into the box for the item she seeked. There was a dagger laying diagonally touching each corner at the bottom. She carefully removed it from the box and laid it down of to the side. She wanted something to defend herself if magic failed her. She stuffed all of the things back in the box and put it back on top of the shelf where it previously was. She then took his favorite cloak out from the hook on the back of the door and draped it over her head. She then went back into the sitting area and picked up the magic book and slid it into the cloak's pocket. She then used the teleportation spell to cover her in the purple smoke.

* * *

Rumple sat in his cell. His stomach ached at the lack of food that had been given to him. Only a small bowl of oats, which must have gone bad years ago due to their foul taste and mushy texture. It was no wonder Cora was so eager to leave this place so quickly.

He stood up and moved to the area of the room her was using for sleeping. There was the old rags that he had always kept with him and a few old bird feathers to make it more comfortable, although it still was just a filthy floor.

He tried his best to relax his muscles. He covers his head with his hands and closes his eyes. Painful memories of Cora's untimely death flashed before his eyes. Her last words to him as a living being ran through his head. "Stay with me before I fall asleep. I love you." he spoke softly recalling it. He slowly took a breath and spoke. "Cora, I know you can hear me so please listen. I don't know where our daughter is but I want you to make sure everything will be okay with her. You told me to stay by your side before you died, and now I want you to stand by hers. Just don't let them hurt her."

He heard a guard approach the cell he resided in. "Rumpelstiltskin! Who is it that you speak to!" the guard yelled as took off one of his metal gloves and gauntlets to show a magical torture spell.

"I was just speaking to myself. Surly that is allowed."

"You lie! And do you know what we to with those who lie? We punish them!" He said throwing the sparks at Rumple causing him to convulse on the bed. Soon the magic stopped and eased the pain. "Now who were you talking to!" the guard demanded flashing the spell yet again.

"MY WIFE!" Rumple yelled in fear.

The guard put back his armor and chuckled. "Crazy old man. Your wife is dead! She can't save you now." He walked away laughing.

"You have no idea." Rumple muttered under his breath as he turned over to face the wall.


	23. Part 2 Chapter 10

**A/N This is the last chapter until next Monday. I think that may be the end of part two or I may add a few more chapters. If you want me to go on with a third part, I have a few more ideas, just let me know. Thanks to my friend for letting me borrow her computer to post this. Now on with the story!**

* * *

Three days of time have passed since she had started her journey. The walking was tiring and her feet were covered in blisters only soothed by a healing spells she had been practicing. Over these three days she was following a faint trail that, as it seems, only she could see, for the other travelers that she had crossed paths with seem to not notice its existence. Over the horizon she saw the towers of a royal castle. The insignia on the flags that waved from them matched the ones on the carriage that took her father. She had no doubt in her mind. This is where her Papa was being kept.

Now that she was getting closer, she thought it wise to change her appearance fully today. She had been practicing changing her hight, hair color, age, or whatever else she felt. She was very proud of what she had accomplished in such short time, having none of the passing travelers or guards recognize her.

She decided that it would be as good of a time as ever and opened her spell book to her shape shifting spell refreshing her memory of how to use it. She took off her father's cloak and took his knife out of her boot.

Taking a deep breath she covered her body in the purple smoke. When it cleared she rushed to a nearby creek to look at her reflection. She was much taller and much more matured then she was moments ago. Her plain dress had been turned to a casual white button down shirt and a long black skirt. It was identical to one she had seen one of the woman in the market wear at special festivals. She looked like a gown woman. If she hadn't known her current age, she would have placed herself at around twenty.

She was proud of her work grinning from ear to ear. She spun around in a circle a few times letting her skirt flair. She turned back to the creek to see that something was missing. She plucked the little white flowers from tree besides her and she wove them into her wavy hair. She admired her reflection twirling one of her loose curls around her pointer finger. Now she truly did look as if she would belong in the castle. Wasting no more time, she picked up her fathers knife, cloak, and her spell book and walked careful down the path to get used to her new body.

The castle was in full view now and a group of guards standing at the entrance gate. One approached her out of the bunch. "What business to you have here, young maiden?" He asked.

Regina smile politely. "I am here to do a job, fair knight. I was summoned to stand in for a maid who has fallen ill."

He nodded and let her walked quickly through the courtyard to find the trail she was following had dead ended abruptly where a carriage was parked. She walked through the massive doors to the large castle and was marvelled at the massive size of the foyer, but then choose to ignore it all. She followed a group of servers through a few halls and into the kitchen. Glorious smells wafted from the intricate dishes being cooked by the men over the stoves. She spotted a lone loaf of bread the seemed to be stale. She took it on a tray and asked the nearest chef where the prison cells in the castle were. Her directed her to a door that lead to the basement. She smiled and brought the bread down.

The guard at the door to the prison in the basement met her as she started down the corridor. "Why do you wish to enter the prison?"

"I was ordered b y Prince Henry to watch his prisoner eat so you could take a break for meals."

He put down his sword and took off is helmet. "It's very unusual for Henry to send such a pretty girl down into this dump. Be careful. He is a dangerous man." The guard said with a smile. He looked kind, but his eyes seemed to be focused on something other than hers. She quickly nodded and the guard left the corridor and Regina entered the prison.

* * *

Rumple heard the door shut and he turned to get a glimpse of the person who entered. He was happy to see that instead of the usual large guard sent down to watch him, there was a young maiden in place. More importantly she had food with her. She stuffed the bread into a slot at the bottom of the jail cell door. He was quick to grab hunks of bread off the floor. "I'm glad you are enjoying it." She said wish a light smile.

Rumple took a break from stuffing bread into his mouth and looked up. He knew that voice anywhere. "Regina! " She smiled down to him covering her lips with her pointer finger. He looked at her appearance. She was much more matured and taller. She wasn't her. "Regina why do you look different? "

"Papa..."

His eyes widened at the realization of what she had done. "You used magic! Regina, you know what it did to your mother!"

"Yes! But I have to get you out! It was the only way, you have to understand my reasoning!"

Rumple sighed. She was twelve. And she was already so gifted with magic. No average person could have taught themselves such extravagant magic on their own. She already had the chance at darkening her soul. She was just twelve. Still his baby girl. Far to young to corrupt oneself. Not even an adult. He finished his bread and wiped the crumbs from the stubble on his face to the floor. Regina stood up and walked around the perimeter of the jail. "What are you doing?"

She walked faster frantically running her hand along the wall. "There has to be keys or something in here that can unlock the doors to your cell."

Rumple frowned. "Do you think it would really think it would be that easy to free me?" Regina shook her head left to right. "The only way to get me out is by the demand of Prince Henry, and we both know he does not wish me free."

"We could use magic to control him, to trick him into letting you out."

"The only way to control him with magic is by taking his heart, but..."

She interrupted his statement abruptly

"Then I will take it! If it means your freedom, I will do it, whatever the consequence may be. "

She got up to walk away but her father's voice stopped her. "It will darken your soul! Taking a heart is what got her the death sentence! I can never let you walk the same path! Even though love cleared her heart, the people she hurt never have her forgiveness!"

She continued walking as fast as she could. She couldn't let fear cloud her mind. Nor her father's suggestions. She had to go now while she could bring herself to do it. She was going to take Prince Henry's heart.


	24. Part 2 Chapter 11

**A/N Hello readers!I am back with daily updates for now! Still deciding if I am going to write a third part. If you guys would like that please let me know that would be great! Now on with the story!**

* * *

Regina strutted up the stairs of the dungeons. There was no stopping her now, she had to get her father out of this reached place. Throwing the doors back, she entered into the main floor of the castle and dashed up the grandiose stair case that went up the two sides meeting at the center. She walked down the rather large corridor and entered a room at random.

The room, though well-kept, was currently being used as a nursery. She took in her surroundings making sure that no sign of life was in the room and then relaxed. "This room is bigger then our house," she thought with wonder admiring the beautiful oil paintings that hung off the walls. She had heard her papa talk about how he once lived in a large estate with her mother before it was burnt down. She would have grown up in a place unto that of this, though would it really have made such a difference.

She quickly opened her book and shuffled through to find anything about removing hearts. There was a diagram in one of the last pages explaining the steps. First place your hand over your victim's chest. Then you press hard until your hand slips in. She cringed, but continued. The heart will be directly under the flesh and you need to squeeze it and rip- Regina slammed the cover of the book shut. It was cruel to read. She would need to just play it by ear. She hid the book back in her father's cloak and continued to look around.

She moved over to the crib that stood sturdy in the center of the room and peeked over the edge. She was expecting a child, but it only contained an array of a few stuffed animals. Very immaculate for the room of a baby. There was a mobile hanging from the vaulted ceiling which featured glass stars and one large crescent moon in the center. She turned it and a familiar heart warming melody fill the air, that which was played at the many balls here in the castle and during holidays in the markets.

"What are you doing in here!" a voice boomed through the room making Regina jump. She turned to see a woman that she recognized from the woods. She was the pregnant woman riding in the carriage when her father was arrested.

Regina quickly bowed down immediately recognizing the royal. "Princess Evelyn! It is honor to meet you."

Evelyn raised her eyebrow in confusion. "What is your name."

Regina swallowed hard. "Wilma. I am one the maids."

Evelyn's expressions softened and a smile appeared on her face. " You must be one of Eugenia's new maids. " A small girl peaked around the doorway. Shyly, she entered slowly staring at her mother. "This is your new nurse maid." The little girl smiled showing her small white teeth. She ran toward Regina and hugged her around the legs. Regina almost fell back, for she was still a bit clumsy in the disguise she was wearing, but soon regained her balance and smiled down at the child. "Go on and play in your chambers. Miss Wilma will be in to meet you shortly."

As soon as the little girl left, Evelyn went to a rocking chair in the corner and eased into it sighing heavily. "Is anything wrong?" Regina asked politely slowly following the princess.

Evelyn sighed again, this time pressing on her back. "Henry wants a son. He refuses to believe the possibility of me baring him another girl. He will not even pick a female name. That is why we had to name our daughter Eugenia; we planned on naming our first-born Eugene. He is so stubborn!"

"Do not freight. I think Eugenia is a lovely name."

"That is not what I worry for. I worry now about our second child. I don't think we will have any more chances after this, we are both getting older and we have always had problems conceiving. What he may do if I bare him another daughter."

Regina walked forward and rubbed her shoulder. "Everything will be fine, no matter what gender your child is, they will be a wonderful addition to your family and the prince will love them all the same. "

Evelyn smiled and looked up, moving the out-of-place red curl back behind her ear. "Can you get Henry? I think it will be a good time to have a talk with him."

Regina nodded and got up. "Where is he?"

"He will be up stairs in his study. North tower. Please send him and then you can go meet Eugenia."

* * *

She entered the top floor of the north tower and speed up the stairs. Prince Henry quickly got up out of his plush chair. "Is everything aright. Evelyn?"

"Everything is alright." Regina reassured before walking forward to Henry. "I don't think we have been formally introduced." She gathered the smoke at her feet and it encased her entire body. When it cleared, she was back to her normal appearance. "Regina."

Henry quickly grabbed a knife off of the top of his desk and thrust it toward her. She quickly immobilized him with a magical spell, stopping his arms in mid-swing. Regina slowly walked toward him and placed her hand on top of where his heart was. Even through his shirt she could feel his heart nervously pound.

Carefully she willed her hand to move into his chest, but her heart refused and forced her to pull away. A tear dripped from her eye and she bent down on the floor. "Why can't I do it. It is not a difficult task!"

Suddenly,Regina stood up straight and looked into Henry's eyes which moved freely underneath the ripples of the blue magic of the paralization spell. She saw many things she didn't expect to see in the eyes of the man the murdered her mother. She saw fear, and oddly enough, she saw love. She closed her eyes and covered them with her arms.

A strange sensation flowed through her as she felt a pair of delicate fingers wrap around her wrists that guided them to Henry's temples. To her surprise, there was no visible hand where she felt it lift and move to her own temples. The familiar tingle of magic over came her body, her hand glowed a soft pink and she looked up seeing a pair of unfamiliar brown eyes and a beautiful face smiling down on her before a white flash of light overtook her vision.


	25. Part 2 Chapter 12

Hands were removed from his temple and he fell to the floor with a thud, the blue magic dispersing away leaving him no longer paralized and able to move again. Henry quickly brought his hands to his temples and vigorously rubbed them. He slowly looked up, but what he saw made his eyes snap directly back to the floor.

"Henry, you killed me the least you can do is look at me in the eyes after my daughter spared you." Cora snapped towering over him.

"How?" Henry gasped looking up at her with a scowl. "You are dead!"

"Simple. I died before my time, dear. My soul remains until my time to pass has come."

Henry looked up in horror. "Then, how... how can I see you?"

"Really, are you that stupid? I have temporarily borrowed my daughter's body. Magic! That which you deem evil." She sneered down on him. "And you think that gives you a reason to kill my Regina! You are a fool!"

Henry slowly rose to his feet. "You left me for magic!"

"No I left you for love! And if I hadn't have left you would have raised her as your own."

"You were pregnant when you left me?"

"Yes and he would have never known she was his. You would have loved her the same way you love your biological daughter."

"I don't understand! Why would you cheat on me! You wanted power! Power which I posses!"

"Not power. Revenge. Revenge in which I now regret. My mother, it was her time die. And I feel a fool for following the path of revenge. But Henry, I must warn you that if you kill her, the cycle of revenge will continue, with you son."

Henry suddenly smiled. "I am to have a son?"

"Only if you let her live." She placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "Regina is a sweet soul, her magic is that of light and goodness. I beg you, don't let her suffer with out a father."

"But I just can't forgive your debt."

"Then let her work it off, let her work as a maid in your castle until she comes of age. She would make an excellent maid, she is a hard worker. She, even in her persona, has taken the job of nurse maid of your daughter."

Henry pondered for a moment, his eyes fixed on the laceration in Cora's chest where he had stabbed her. Slowly he nodded in agreance. Cora quickly smiled and then hugged him. She quickly turned to leave.

"Cora wait!" She turned back. "Can we seal it? You know what we would always do after we came to an agreance."

Cora reluctantly walked up to him and kissed him lightly on the lips. "You really do need to get over me, darling. Trust me, your wife loves you more than you could ever imagine. Just let her in."

Cora moved her hands to Henry's temples and pressed lightly letting her hands become encased in the soft pink magic. There was a flash of light and Henry saw the face he was looking in change to that of a young girl. "I understand."

* * *

"You can read I suppose?" Henry asked pushing forward the parchment he had been writing on.

Regina nodded and took the parchment into her hands. She skimmed through the parchment ensuring that everything that was written was as they had discussed.

She was to stick with her fake personal as a woman named Wilma until the day of her sixteenth birthday. She was to tend to his four-year old daughter, Eugenia, twenty-four hours a day with no complaints. For this, her father will be released and they will both move into the castle and be feed three meals a day and clothed to the standards of the rest of the staff in the castle.

Regina was not to use magic as long as she resided in the castle and was only permitted to use it in emergency situations and if some on of the royal family asked her to. She was only allowed to leave the castle accompanied by a member of the royal family or any other blue blood that requested her to guide them.

If any rules were broken, her father will be immediately taken back into custody and she will be banished from the grounds.

His sudden change of heart was kind of disturbing, although it was greatly appreciated. Her father would be granted freedom and she wouldn't need to take his heart to convince him. "Who was that woman anyway? I ow her my thanks," Regina thought as she lowered the document and grabbed the quill that sat in the small pool of ink.

Everything seemed in order. Now, just to sign away the next four years of her life away.

**End part 2**


	26. Part 3 Chapter 1

**A/N Annnnddddd I jinxed myself when I said I would be posting daily again. I have been sick for the passed two days. Thanks for being patient! And now, I present to you:**

**Love or Power Part 3: From Now to Forever**

* * *

Four years later

...

"I don't understand? Why do you have to leave Miss Wilma."

Regina bent down to look at the girl in the eyes. "I have to go on with my life. There is a man who has called upon me for marriage. Some day, you will do the same."

"But I want you to stay with me!"

"Come here." Eugenia walked to Regina and have her a big hug. " I will come back and visit you. That is a promise. I will never forget you Ge."

Regina reluctantly stood up and waved goodbye as she left the little girl. Over the past four years, they had become very close. And now, the day of her sixteenth birthday, Regina didn't want to leave. Prince Henry was waiting outside her daughter's chambers

"You can remove your disguise now." He said as she whipped away her tears. After a cloud of purple smoke clear, there was Regina. She was now slightly shorter then her persona, her raven hair now midway down her back in a french braid. She was matured the same, although she choose to cover herself in much more modest clothing.

"I'm sorry. Please, let me go collect myself." Regina said quickly walking down the corridor. Henry looked at the door to his daughter's room for a minute then turned and followed Regina.

"Wait!" Regina turned around to look at Henry. "If it is a job you are searching for, you know you I can offer you one."

"Well if you are offering, I will gladly accept. You know, I really have grown to love Ge." Henry raised an eyebrow. "You know, I love her as if I was her sister." Henry cringed. "But I only accept if I get to keep my appearance, I miss being myself."

"I will give it to you as a present, it is your birthday and it will be good for Eugenia. She can't know, you know, that you are Wilma."

"I know. You want her to stay away from magic, and I respect that"

"Then it is settled. You and your father will stay here in the castle and you will start to receiving payment for your work next week."

Regina quickly hugged Henry who stumbled back. "Thank you! You will not regret this!" She turned and rushed down the corridor to talk to her room.

"Father! I have wonderful news!"

* * *

"Eugenia! Can you come over here?"

"Yes, father. What do you need?"

"This is your new nurse maid, Regina."

Eugenia stepped forward and held out her hand. Regina took a hold of it and shook. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. Now may I please go back to my room." Regina frowned a little.

"Nonsense, you need to go with Regina and get dressed for your brother's celebration."

"Father I can do it myself. I don't need a maid to help me dress myself." Eugenia stormed out of her father's office and Regina thumped down into one of the many chairs.

"She will get over it. She misses Wilma."

"I am Wilma! Well she doesn't know that, but it has been a week! I thought she would be over her by now!"

"It will be okay, just get ready for the party, she will be better when she gets to know you."

"I suppose you are right." there was a pause."I suppose I will leave you to finish with the preparations for the party." Henry nodded and Regina left his office.

* * *

Regina arrived at the party with her father by her side. Her father, who all these years had stayed hidden away in her room, was glad to get out. He was no longer going by his real name, instead he was using the name Adam, because his name would be so recognizable. Not many people do have the name Rumpelstiltskin anymore. As she entered with her father by her side, she made eye contact with Eugenia, who immediately looked away.

She moved to her seat at the long table, which was unfortunately in the same place that it had always been, next to Eugenia. Eugenia quickly scooted her seat to be closer to her mother. Regina looked to her father who shoot her a confused look back. Henry stood up to make an announcement. "I thank you all for coming here to celebrate my son, Prince Liam's, birthday. And now we may feast in celebration!"

The young prince was quick to grab the leg of a turkey and shove it into his small mouth. Evelyn was quick to pull in from him and to correct him on his manners. Eugenia rolled her eyes and took a slice of chicken off of a platter and cut it up into small pieces making sure she would not make eye contact with Regina. Regina was slow to eat the slice of bread that was placed on her plate and instead decided to look around the room to comfort herself.

There were many people she had never seen at the other balls. As she scanned the room, she saw there was a man who was staring at her across the room. They made eye contact and he waved. He was thin, average height, brown hair almost to his shoulders, and dazzling hazel eyes. She raised her hand and blushed ever so slightly and smiled. He winked at her and she turned her head down to her plate.

"It appears that you have an admirer."

"Papa..."

Rumple chuckled and took another fork full of meat. Regina was quick to shovel down the rest of the food that was on her plate. As soon as it was gone she got up and walked to the area off to the side where the man had just gotten up to walk to. He walked over to where she was leaned up onto a pole. "Fair maiden, might I ask for your name."

"Regina. And you?"

"Sir Zachary." He took her hand and caressed it slowly and then brought it to his lips and kissed ever so lightly.

"Well aren't you a charmer."

"Such a pretty maiden should be used to such charm."

Regina shook her head. Zachary released her hand and looked into her eyes. "Then you must have been around some pretty lousy men."

Regina chuckled. "You know the prince would have your head for that."

"My father wouldn't allow that. He is most faithful to the prince you know."

"Sir Lucas?"

"Yes."

"But he has never spoken of you. Are you on bad accords?"

"No I take care of my mother at home. We live a little over a half day's ride from here." he held out his hand and bowed down to her. "Would you care to dance?"

"It would be my pleasure." He lead her to the center of the floor and put one hand on her shoulder and the other on her waist. She blushed as he pulled her in close and they slowly began to sway together. For the first time, she felt the bubbly feeling she can now define her first crush.

* * *

"Eugenia! Please, look at me." She turned and looked at Regina. "Why do you refuse to let me help you?"

She stared for a moment and then answered. "Because I can do it myself."

Regina bent down to look in her eyes. "Everyone needs help sometime. Wilma told me that you would miss her. I know I am not my sister, but if you give me a chance, I am sure you will love me all the same."

"She is your sister?" Eugenia thought for a minute. "You do sound the same."

"Yes and I ensure you if you give me sometime, Ge you will find that I will be just as nice."

"Then can you please help me get this corset off. It is quite difficult to do on one's own." Regina smiled and went to her back to tend to the strings keeping up the soft pink dress. She helped the little girl un-braid her long red hair and helped her into a night dress. "Regina?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you." She hugged Regina lightly. "Have a nice sleep."

"You too."


	27. Part 3 Chapter 2

There was a knocking on Eugenia's chamber. "Come in!" Regina called as she got up from the young girl's writing desk.

The door opened and both Eugenia and Regina were surprised to see Lucas walk in. "Are you Eugenia's nurse maid?"

Regina stood up and smoothed the wrinkles in her skirt. "Yes I am." She held out her hand. "Regina."

Lucas to it and shook it. "My son has told me much about you."

"Really?"

"Yes quite a lot. He wants to know if you and your father could be so kind as to join up for dinner tomorrow evening at our family estate."

"Of course I would be delighted and I am sure my father will feel the same."

Lucas smiled. "I am glad! Zachary will be so be so pleased! I will take you to my home by horse back tomorrow at noon."

"Aright thank you!"

Lucas turned and walked out of the chambers and Eugenia stood to meet Regina where she was standing. "What did he want?"

"Nothing, but I have a date tomorrow. "

* * *

The dinner was very unusual. Regina and her father we both seated at the distant end of a very long table. On the other end sat Zachary and his parents. It was a quiet three-course meal, which Regina and Rumple gladly ate every bite that was placed on their plate. During the meal, however, Regina couldn't help but feel like a pair of eyes were constantly focused on her. After finishing desert, the group just stared at each other.

"What do you think mother?" Zachary said turning to the tall dark woman sitting beside him.

"Why she is quite a pretty young girl." She replied looked directly across the large dinning table to where Regina was sitting.

"Pretty is an understatement in my eyes. She is the fairest of all the maidens in the entire realm in my opinion, mother." Zachary stood up from his seat at the table. "I have made my decision." Regina raised and eyebrow in confusion until he whispered something into his father's ear. Lucas nodded and handed him something in his pocket over to Zachary.

He walked over to Regina's seat directly across the table. "Will you marry me Regina?" She gasped. She had not even known him for a month and most people of this status were either betrothed or already married at this age and she had not thought that she would marry the first person she had a crush on. She had not even kissed him. Her childhood dream of love at first sight and then years developing a relationship was shattered. But there was one thing she did know; Zachary has money. Lots of it. And money was security and protection. And if she was to marry him, she would have access to all of it. Her father would be fine. She would be fine.

She looked over to her father for confirmation. "Whatever you choose will be fine."

Regina looked back to the man on his knee. "Yes. Yes I will." He smiled brightly and pulled her in for a hug and their cheeks brushed. Instead of continuing with the hug, he moved back a little and she saw his eyes fixate on her lips. She slowly moved forward and he quickly closed the distance between them in her first kiss. She had high expectations, although she felt very let down. She did not feel the cliché spark of love that people talk about when true lovers have their first kiss. Nothing at all. She pulled back first and he hugged her tightly.

He took her hand and slipped the ring onto the fourth finger on her left hand. She giggled admiring the gold band with many small diamonds studded on the band. She felt his hand softly cup her cheek and the other pressing two fingers under her chin tilting up her head. He quickly met her lips in another kiss, this time she brushed his dark hair off his forehead as he made attempts to deepen the kiss and she rejected it squeezing her lips shut.

He pulled away and shoot her a look of disappointment, but was disrupted by the chattering their parents.

"Oh Zachary! Come here!" his mother said as she walked up to him and hugged him from behind. She soon let go and looked toward Regina. "And one for my future daughter-in-law." Regina smiled lightly and hugged the woman back.

Lucas, on the other hand, just sat in his chair from the distant end of the table. He quickly shot up. "We must start on the preparations right away! Adam, if you would come with me."

Rumple got up from his chair and followed Lucas into his office, but not before catching a look of desperation on Regina's face. Desperation for freedom.

* * *

"Will you be leaving me too?" said Eugenia as she admired the engagement ring on Regina's hand.

"What?"

"Well, when your sister got engaged she left me right away to make plans with her fiancé. You have only been with me for a few months. Please don't tell me that you will be leaving me as well."

Regina sat down on her large bed and began brushing her hair with a silver, jewel encrusted brush. "Yes, I will have to leave you," Eugenia frowned,"but not right now. I will work until the date of my wedding draws nearer. Now come along it is time to go to bed." Eugenia slipped under the satin sheets and plush quilt of her bed and closed her eyes. "Good night, Ge."

Regina got up to leave. "Wait!" Regina turned back around.

"What is it, princess?"

"Do you know your mother's song. Wilma used to sing it to me when I had a nightmare. Can you sing it to me one more time?" Regina nodded and began to hum the melody and Eugenia drifted to sleep.

Regina wiped away a few red hairs from Eugenia's head and kissed it lightly. "Good night, Ge. I love you."


	28. Part 3 Chapter 3

Regina had been engaged for a few month now. Everyday she questioned herself on it. If it would be a good idea to go through with the wedding. She knew that Zachary had feelings for her, but she did not feel anything for him in the least. They only saw eachother on the rare occation that Regina could get off work or he could ride to the castle to meet her.

It was early in the morning and Regina had just woken by herself in her room. She glanced around the room and eventually coxed herself out of bed and opened the dusty curtins. She was in dead thought when the door swung open. Regina turned around.

"Father? Where have you been?"

"Oh just out for an early morning walk." He said limping in the door. He carefully planted his cane on the hard wood floor and began fiddling with the handle. "Would you know that the apple tree that you planted for the princess a few years back will soon bare fruit?"

"That is wonderful news!" She said turning to look out the window to look for it in the garden full of beautiful flowers and trees. The garden was always her favorite place to be in when she was in the castle. When she was younger, Eugenia would be Regina to go to the garden daily, and a few times a week, her wish would be granted.

"There was also a man here at the castle who has come with a gift for you from Sir Zachary."

Regina stood up. "I shall go retrieve that gift."

Rumple nodded and took his cane by the door in one and his daughter's arm in the other. They walked down the castle corridor, down the stairs, and out into the courtyard. In the courtyard, there was a man waiting with a beautiful brown horse. "Are you Regina?"

"Yes I am."

"This is from your fiancé." He said handing her the reins.

"Thank you stable boy. You may go back." The man nodded and got on another horse. She slowly ran her fingers through her new horse's short fur.

"I guess you told him." Rumple said as her took an apple from a bag on the side of the saddle and put it to the horse's mouth for it to eat.

"What?"

"Your fiancé. You told him you love horses. "

"Oh, yes he has been inquiring a lot about me." she said as she climbed on the saddle steadying herself. "He wants me to visit him more."

"Well you are getting married."

"Yes I suppose you are right." She dug through the bag on the side of the saddle to find many things. Flowers for herself, apples, and a slip of paper. She lifted the paper out of the bag to read it aloud. "His name is Rocinante. I would like you to ride him to my home as often as you can. I will look forward to your visits as I start the preparations for our wedding. Yours Truly, Zachary." Regina smiled lightly as her father took the note from her hands.

"You really must resign soon and go to live with him." Rumple said as he tucked the note back into the saddle.

"What about you?"

"I have found a small house that is vaccent near the estate. I am sure that I have saved up enough money from spinning over the past few years to get by." He put his hand over Regina's. "I don't need you to worry about me. I will be fine. I have lived by myself for over one hundred years, I would think I can do it again."

Regina giggled. "Alright Papa. I trust your judgement."

* * *

"You mean that you want to stay her with me?" Zachary said as he sat on the couch in the large sitting room in his estate next to where Regina was sitting.

Regina nodded. "Well, soon. I need to gather my things and say goodbye to Eugenia." Zachary smiled and brushed a piece of hair off of her face. He leanded in to kiss her, but she pulled away.

"What is wrong? Why can't you kiss me? We are to be married."

Regina turned away. "I just an not in the mood."

Zachary grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to turn around and pressed his lips onto hers. "Is that so bad?" Regina quickly got up and walked out of the room. "Where are you going?"

"I am going home! I have things to tend to!" Regina snapped walked out into the corridor and turned the corner and walked out into the open. "Stable boy! Fetch me my horse!"

"You can't leave now! Why haven't you thought of me! Did it ever occur to you that maybe I need you too?" The stable boy came out of the stable and gave her the reins to Rocinante. Regina ignored the comment and got on the horse. "Regina!" She turned around. "Please stay. I want you to be here with me."

"Not now. I need to go."


	29. Part 3 Chapter 4

"I can't believe you are leaving me too." Eugenia said as she helped Regina put the last of her bags in a carriage. "You know, I am going to miss you a great deal more then your sister."

Regina smiled and hugged her. "Darling, if you ever need me, it is only a half of a day's journey by horse to come and visit me. If you ever need, just come and visit me."

Eugenia reached into her cloak's pocket and grabbed a rather large object. She pulled it out and handed it to Regina. "It's your tree's first fruit. I thought you would like to have it." Regina carefully took it from the girl's hand and took a large bite from the fruit and smiled.

"It is good."

Eugenia smiled widely. "Good bye Miss Regina."

Regina stepped into the carriage. "I promise I will see you again soon, Ge. But until we meet again, fair well." Eugenia gave a quick nod and one of Zachary's driver's shut the door. Regina sniffled a little and Zachary put one hand over her's.

"Like you said, it is not goodbye forever."

"I am just going to miss her is all. I will be fine, I just have grown attached and all."

Zachary picked up her hand and softly rubbed it between his own two. "You will feel better once we reach my home."

* * *

Regina had unpacked a great deal of her belongings when she grew bored and decided that she would indulge in a ride. She changed into one of the riding outfits that Zachary had bought for her and put on a pair of old, and well used, pair of traveling boots, carefully lacing them up to the top where they stopped mid calf. She stopped for a moment to look at herself in the mirror, but then walked back to take a second look.

This was the outfit. The hair style. The jewelry. Everything. This what she looked like all in that picture that her father had drawn of her almost seventeen years ago. He really could see the future. And she knew that today, she was going to have an amazing ride, not only because of the expression on her face in the drawing, but because she was going to be alone. Alone, the way she wanted to be.

She hastily made her way to the stable's to where her horse should be at this time. "Stable boy, can you please direct me to my horse's stall. I wish to go on a ride."

The man led her to one of the stalls in the back to where her horse was and put on its saddle. "All set. May you enjoy you ride, my lady."

"Thank you."

The man set to leave but quickly turned around. "I'm sorry, but have we meet before?"

"No I don't believe we have been acquainted."

"I am sorry you just remind me of a girl I met about five years ago is all. She even had the same necklace that she got from her mom."

Regina looked down at the heart necklace around her neck and grabbed it lightly. Then she looked to the left. The stables were very familiar. She ran to the back door and gazed out into the forest. "Would your name happen to be Daniel?"

The man ducked his head. "I knew you were familiar, Regina."

"It is nice to see you again!"

"The same. I would not have expected for you to see me again on these terms, your engagement and all." He said pointing at the ring on her left hand. She moved her right hand over top the left to cover it. "So what have you been doing the past few years. I see your father is fine when he came to visit my master."

"Yes I got him out of prison by working for Henry for a few years. I actually rather enjoyed it. I was a nurse maid for his daughter, Princess Eugenia. She will be visiting. You will see she is a sweet girl."

"That is surprising. I thought he wanted you dead. I am glad everything worked out okay for you in the end. My father passed away last year so I now have taken over the stables entirely. The pay is only okay, but it is the only job I know how to do." He said as he pet the horse. "Oh, well don't let me keep you from enjoying your ride."

"Yes. It was great seeing you again." She said as she commanded Rocinante to move forward.

* * *

"Regina darling? Can you please come in?"

"Why must I come in now?"

"Because we are supposed to be planing for our wedding. I thought you would be anxious to get started."

Regina began to lead the horse back to the stables. "I suppose you are right." She lead Rocinante back into the stall and then met her fiance outside.

"My mother wishes to throw a party in celebration of our engagement." He said as he grabbed her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers.

"That is so much like her."

"Yes it is." He removed his hand from hers and moved it to rest around her waist. She looked down at his hand and lightly brushed it off. She walked a little faster and he tried to keep up. She entered the estate and she hurried to her room. "What is your hurry?"

"I just want to be alone! Is that too much to ask!"

"Well have you taken a second to think about me! I want to be with you!"

She climbed up a few more steps before responding. "We have the rest of our lives to spend together! Would it hurt to give me but an hour to collect my thoughts!"

He never responded, but he climbed up the few stairs and cupped her cheek. He slowly kissed her, and she allowed him to deepen it. She felt the fire behind his kiss, but she couldn't help but not feel the same.

Still, to make him feel better, she attempted at making her kiss as passionate as possible. She tried to pull away, but a hand weaved its way through her hair, forcing her lips to stay on his. Desperately she grabbed his shoulders and pushed him away. She then began walking up the stairs.

"Regina!" She turned around. "Please?" She shook her head and continued walking up the stairs.


	30. Part 3 Chapter 5

The party was a disaster. Meeting new people was not something Regina was accustom to, and there were so many people who she needed to meet before becoming a member of the family. Name after name. Old faces, young faces, it was just too much. She had hoped that Zachary's mother would have invited some people she knew from the castle, but she saw no familiar faces but her father and the people who worked at the estate. The only joy she got from the night was the time she got to spend with her father and the conversation she had with the stable boy, who she now called Daniel, about riding.

And worse of all, Zachary would not stop staring. Even if she was not close by, or even if she went to freshen up, he always kept an eye on her. She felt uncomfortable, so she said goodbye to the guests and retired early to her bed chamber, complaining of fatigue. When she saw all of the guest's carriages leave and the candles in the hall were put out, she opened the window of her bed chamber and climbed out onto a soft patch of dirt in the garden. She stood up, wiped off her pants, and ran to the stables.

"Regina! What are you doing here at this hour? Are you alright?"

"Well other then being annoyed by all the guests at that ridiculous party, I am fine. I wanted to escape from that retched place for so long. I just wanted to ride my horse the whole day. It is really the only time I feel happy anymore."

"Well I was planning on going on a ride to a really pretty place over the hill. Would you like to join me?"

Regina ran into the stall and lead out her horse. "Are you coming?"

* * *

"Wow! It is really pretty here!" Regina said climbing down from her horse.

"I agree, I have been coming here since I was little. Before what happened with my father, we used to come as a family."

They both sat up on a tree and looked up at the stars. "I really wonder why Zachary has never taken me here? It is not like it is that far."

"He doesn't really leave the estate very often."

"How does he stand it? That place will soon drive me insane! I wake up and I can't wait to get out of there!"

Daniel turned to look into Regina's eyes. "Then why did you agree to marry Master Zachary?"

"Finances. I want my father to have enough money to live comfortably. I don't want to have to work at all hours of the day to feed myself."

"So you are marrying him for the money."

"In other words."

"And you don't love him?"

"No."

Daniel quickly reached over to Regina and quickly kissed her hard on the lips. Regina's eyes widened, but she soon shut them and kissed back. It was the most wonderful thing she had ever felt, the new found passion running through her veins which was nothing in compared to anything she had felt with her fiancé. They quickly deepened the kiss, both running their hands through each other's hair in a new found passion.

Soon, Regina pulled away. "I...I am so sorry. That was.. completely unnecessary. I... shouldn't have... we can't... I have to go. I am so sorry." Regina quickly ran of the hill and climbed on Rocinante.

* * *

Regina climbed into the window of her room and stepped onto the rooms floor. She carefully stepped around the creaky floorboard and sat on the bed. Then suddenly, a voice boomed from across the room. "Where have you been!"

"Zachary please-"

"No! You can't just climb out of your window at night!"

"But I was just going for a ride! If you would just-" Regina was cut of by a loud slap of his hand on her face. She screeched a little and fell back on the bed. He climbed on top of her. "What are you doing!"

He pinned her to the bed and kissed her hard on the lips then began trailing kisses down her neck. He quickly ripped open the collar off of her dress holding down her squirming body down with his weight. "I am taking what is mine!"


	31. Part 3 Chapter 6

"Papa! Papa!" She yelled as she hobbled up to her father's small home.

Rumple opened the door and Regina instantly collapsed onto him in a hug and cried into his shoulders. "What is wrong with you my child?"

"Oh Papa, It was horrible!"

"What!"

"He... He... He raped me! Papa! Please help me!" she sobbed.

Rumple quickly squeezed her back as she sobbed. "Oh my! It is okay! Shhhh...ssshhhhhhh. It will be fine."

"Please don't make me marry him!"

Rumple let go for a moment and observed his daughter, seeing large purple marks formed on her cheek and shoulder and strange red marks forming on her neck. "Why would I make you do that! He obviously hurt you! No one gets to hurt my little girl!"

"Because it is for the better." She reached up a touched the necklace hanging around her neck. "Mama would have wanted it this way."

"No she wouldn't. She would want you to be happy. She choose happiness, we created you because of it. She would want you to be happy, not to have money."

Regina let go of him reached down to her left hand where the ring was and she pulled it off of her hand and threw it onto the ground in rage. She then slowly crouched down on her father's wooden door step and sobbed. Rumple reached down and rubbed his daughter's back. "Come. I have a fire burning in the stove. We need to get you into some clean clothes or wash the blood off of your dress." She nodded and Rumple helped her up from the door step and lead her inside."

* * *

It was early morning and the sun was just rising over the stables as Daniel began his morning work of brushing and feeding the horses in the stable. He opened each stall and gave each horse an apple and changed out the hay. However when he got to the last stall, he was surprised to see the horse that was supposed to be occupying that stall was gone. "Rocinante?" He called looking frantically through the stalls.

Then a thought popped into his head. "What if she never got back last night!"

Without another thought, he quickly went back into the stall to find her saddle was no longer hung to the wall where it had been last night, because she rode bareback. He then ran out to look over the riding fields where she road yesterday, but there was nothing there but a few rabbits and a large crow that dove at the tall grass. She was missing.

He went back in the stall a second time and took a closer look. Then he saw something shocking. Finger prints on the wood on the wall next to where the saddle once hung. Bloody finger prints. She was hurt. And she was running away. Alone.

He quickly ran and got his saddle that was hanging by the door and took the fastest horse in the stable, a grey speckled stallion named Breezy. He climbed on the back of him and forced him into full gallop out onto the field. He had a few ideas where she may be.

* * *

There was a loud banging at the door of the wooden cottage. Few people would be so urgent at this time of the morning. Rumple knew it was some one looking for Regina. "Go in the back room."

"But, Papa-"

"Do as I say and hide yourself!" Regina did what her father said and went into the back room, but left the door open just a crack so she could see. Rumple cautiously answered the door. To her delight she saw a find a familiar face, one that she wanted to see.

"Daniel!" she said emerging from the room completely ignoring the conversation he was having with her father.

Daniel looked at her in shock. He usually kept hair was untamed and there were bruises and red marks covering her top half. "Regina! What happened! Are you alright?"

"Not really..."

"What happened!" Daniel caught a glimpse of her left hand that she had placed on her right elbow. The ring was gone.

"He..."

Rumple interrupted. "That is none of your concern right now. Ummm... what did you say your name was horse boy?"

"Daniel"

"Right, Daniel. I have a favor to ask of you." Rumple ran to the back of the cottage and got out a burlap sack from the cupboards in the kitchen. He began filling it with food and skins of water that he had hanging. He also reluctantly took a beautiful box from the counter and but it in on top of all the food. He gave the bag to Regina and she nodded taking a large cloak from a stand by the door. "I want you to take your horses and go as far away from here as you can. I have given Regina some necessities and money to keep you sustained for a month or two."

Daniel shot him a look of confusion. "Why?"

"Regina will tell you in due time. For now, if you really do care about her well being as much as you told me earlier, you will do as I say and take her. Please."

Daniel took Regina's hand, but she snatched it back wincing in pain of a large bruise formed on the top. "We best be going then."

Regina turned and faced her father. "I will keep in contact with you via carrier pigeon. I don't know if I will ever be able to see you again." She hugged him, standing on her tip toes to reach around his neck. "Thank you for all you have done for me in my life time. I love you Papa."

"And I love you to Cora."

"It's Regina." She said letting go and leaning back.

"That's right, you are my baby girl. I love you, Regina."

Regina quickly ran out of the cottage with Daniel and in a few minutes, they were ridding away. Rumple didn't want to admit it, but he was crying. His little girl. Life was so unfair. Her life, so unfair. Her mother taken. Having to work for his freedom. Being raped by a man who was supposed to love her. It was not fair.


	32. Part 3 Chapter 7

After riding in silents for hours on end, the sun began to set over the horizon of the forest, leaving the sky between the trees an stingy orange color. They had been in a large forest since noon and had seen no on else for the whole day. There was a small clearing in the woods ahead, although the remote location made them believe that it was nothing but a natural clearing. "Regina!" Daniel yelled as he slowed the pace of his horse.

Regina slowed down her horse's pace as well falling back to ride by Daniel's side. "Yes?"

"We should be stopping for the night. We should set up camp." They continued riding into the clearing, but were surprised by what they saw. It was a small farming village, not twenty houses, a small market, tailor, even an inn. The perfect place to spend a night. "Or we could just stay here. Where ever here is..."

They led their horse's to the inn and tied the reins to a post mounted on the ground. As they entered the room, a blond woman quickly ran out from behind a table. "I am sorry we weren't expecting anyone so soon."

"Yes my name is Daniel and..."

"That is Regina. Yes I know. You two, you are early."

Daniel shot Regina a weird look. "Early for what? Do you know her?"

Regina began playing with one of the strands of hair that hung over her right shoulder. "No I... I don't."

"You weren't due to be here for another year." The inn keeper said looking through a pile of parchment that laid on the table pointing to their names clearly written in curly letters that either could barely read. "No matter you are here now and that is what counts."

"How did you know we would be here?"

"Oh we know every one who will come here. That is not what you need now, what you need is a room. You look exhausted." She reached back a grabbed a key from the top shelf. "Your room is on the second floor in the back. There is a pump outside and there is a bath downstairs."

Regina reached into the burlap sack she was carrying and brought out a wooden box and put it on the table. She opened it and another familiar lullaby that Daniel recognized as the song that she played for him almost five years ago, and pulled out a few silvers and coppers. "How much for one night?"

"One night? Oh no dear, you are not leaving."

"What?"

"No one in this town leaves. And no one who isn't supposed to live here can find it. This is a safe haven."

"That makes no sense!"

"In time, it will. You stay here for a few days you will understand."

* * *

Regina and Daniel went to the small market in the village to get supplies and more food. They both had to buy clothing, since neither had packed anything, more food, and supplies for the horses.

"Anything else you need?" Daniel said as he picked up the last basket of bread off of the counter.

Regina looked around the remaining stalls, walked up to the smallest one, and purchased a roll of parchment and a writing set. "I want to talk to my Papa."

"How? Do you have a letter bird?"

Regina and Daniel began walking back to the inn as she pulled something out of the bottom of the bag. "My father had this in his house." she said pulling out her mother's old spell book. "We were supposed to burn it before we moved to the castle for me to work, but I guess he kept it."

"Right, magic."

"Haven't used it in years... Well, who doesn't like learning something over again." They walked into the inn and the woman at the counter greeted them. They walked up stairs into the small room and shut the door. She quickly dumped the baskets and bags she was carrying on the bed and took the parchment and writing set to the table and frantically scrolled down a message.

"What on earth are you writing?" Daniel said as he peered over her and put a hand on her shoulder. Regina yelped a bit shoving off his hand and jolting forward in self-defense. "What is wrong!"

"Nothing..."

"Regina, come on, we are friends. You can tell me anything."

"Yes, and you kissed me..."

Daniel turned around Regina's chair and bent down to be at eye level. "You can trust me. What happened last night?"

Regina sighed and took the cloak that was covering her torn dress off reviling a mirage of bruises and red marks he had not noticed this morning. "He raped me." Daniel's eyes changed from worried to shocked and he quickly went to hug her, but was quickly forced off. "I am sorry. I am not ready for any person to hold me for a while."

"I understand. I promise I won't lay a finger on you again until you give me permission."

Regina nodded and opened her spell book. She waved her hand over the parchment and it slowly faded from the room. "I hope this gets to my father."

* * *

Rumple sat at the table in his house eating his dinner. He had a wonderful conversation with Lucas and Zachary today, returning Regina's wedding ring. Zachary stormed out, while Lucas stayed behind and commended on getting Regina out of the marriage. He apparently never wanted her to marry Zachary in the first place because she would end up making him angry and he would hurt her. He needed a girl who would just sit all day in a room and be fine with it.

Rumple just played with the bread on his plate, until something caught his eye. A flash caught his eye and a parchment appeared on Regina's seat. He picked it up and carefully read it.

_Dear Papa,_

_Me and Daniel have left the kingdom and are now in a small town in the middle of the Aspen Woods. This village is very unusual, they knew we were coming, and they are treating us like family. Daniel has already started asking for a job and there are plenty of jobs her that I can do. I will be practicing my magic and send you as many letters as I can. We are well and safe. Daniel has expressed interest in staying here. I am not quite sure I want to stay with him, but I know he really likes me, more than a friend. And to be honest, I think I may too. We have kissed and it was so much different then what I felt Zachary. I don't really know, so I will give it some time. Until I come to a decision, I have one other thing that worries me; Zachary might have gotten me pregnant. If that happens, I am coming home. I can't have a child in an unpredictable lifestyle. For now I will just focus on dinner._

_All my love,_

_Regina_

Rumple for the first time today relaxed, knowing his little girl was safe.

* * *

The first night was the most awkward. Since there was only one room available, with only one bed, Regina and Daniel had to sleep together. Not in the sexual sense, but as Daniel laid awake, he couldn't help but stare at Regina. She was so beautiful. Also she couldn't stay still. He noticed she began to moan in her sleep. The moans slowly evolved to screams. "Regina!" he shook her slightly.

Her eyes flashed open and she screamed a little. "Oh! Daniel I am so sorry!" she said beginning to cry. He just sat there trying to figure out something to do. "Daniel?" He looked up. "Can you... hug me?"

He quickly enveloped her in a soft hug in which she returned softly crying into his shirt. "It is alright Regina. I am here." She slowly began to clam down and she pulled him closer. He slowly let go of Regina and tilted her chin up to look into her eyes. Even slower, he began inching closer until Regina quickly closed the space between them in a passionate kiss.

"Thank you for everything, Daniel."

"My pleasure." He said as he slowly sat back down into the bed.

Regina followed his lead and sunk down, but he wrapped his arms around her. "Please, don't let go."

"Never."

* * *

**A/N OH MY GOLD! STABLE QUEEN! Hehehe I love writing fluff! And this is the longest chapter I have written so far I just love these two! A short explanation why I have not put Rumple with Belle; Belle is a bit younger then Regina, and Rumple started aging the day Regina was born, so it would be kind of creepy to put him with a young girl, since he is now probably in his sixties. Hope that clears up any confusion. Please review!**


	33. Part 3 Chapter 8

Over the next months, Regina wrote her father nightly. Although many letters were uneventful, he had kept a few more important ones separated from the rest. She would, on a daily basis, tell him of her romantic outings with Daniel, stories about riding Rocinante, and hoping him to be safe and happy. And of course, in typical Regina fashion, she signed them all in the same way; All my love. He knew that to be true.

But on the morning of day two hundred and twenty-nine, he read through these letters that he had put aside one more time.

* * *

_Day 12_

_Dear Papa,_

_I hate to admit it, but, I have fallen so much in love with Daniel. More then you would know even possible. It is the most wonderful feeling I have ever felt. If this was what you felt for Mama, I understand why she went through all the trouble to be with you. Love is the most happiness I have ever experienced. He has gotten a job, relieving the stable master of his position. I have yet to get a job, but I have summoned a spinning wheel and I will start spinning straw into gold as soon as possible. I have more good news, I am not pregnant. You know, I thought that I would be happy that I am not pregnant, but to be honest, I want a baby, to be a mother. Now just isn't the right time for that. I will write you again tomorrow._

_All my love,_

_Regina_

* * *

_Day 34_

_Dear Papa,_

_Daniel has asked to court me today. And I agreed. I hope you are fine with it, because traditionally you need to agree. We are going to leave the inn soon. There is a house that the old stable master is moving out of and he wishes to give it to Daniel as a gift for taking over his job at the stable. I finished my first spool of gold today. I have choose one of the many memories of Zachary as my memory. I truly hope he lives forever an unhappy man. Me and Rocinante went for a ride today. It is starting to snow during our ride, it has been happening more and more often. He despises the snow, so I don't think we will be riding very much in the next month. I promised Eugenia that she would see me. If she comes looking for me, tell her that I went on a trip and won't be back for a while. I don't want her to worry about me, she has more important things to worry about. I hope you are well too, Papa. I know you are not that old, I mean you didn't age for almost 100 years but that doesn't mean I can't worry about you. Take care of yourself._

_All my love,_

_Regina_

* * *

_Day 47 (On this letter, there is a large brown stain on the bottom right corner that has the unmistakable scent of apples)_

_Dear Papa,_

_Today is my birthday. I am turning seventeen, although, you already know that. In a few days, I have decided to mourn Mama's death. I will do it like we used to when I worked in the castle. Do you remember? I would request the day off, and Prince Henry would always give it, out of remorse for her death. We would sit in our room and you would pull out one of the pictures of Mama and we would light the sweet smelling candle's Lady Evelyn kept in her chambers. Then we would listen to her song for hours on end. The old music box still plays just as good as it used to, not even the melody has gone flat. It will still be the same. Daniel and I are going on a picnic to celebrate my birthday. We bought apples and I hope to bake a pie if the inn keeper can allow us to borrow her kitchen. I will send you a slice with this letter. I hope you enjoy it. I used Mama's recipe after all._

_All my love,_

_Regina_

* * *

_Day 118_

_Dear Papa,_

_Today I went on a ride with Daniel. These are the little things I wish I get to do more often. Of course, now that most of the snow has melted from the winter, we may be able to sneak a few more rides into our scheduled We are now finished the renovations to the house and I have recently moved into his bed chamber. I promise you we are not doing what you think, he says that he wants to wait. I have been plagued with nightmares and I often find myself ending up in his arms night after night. I guess I can't help myself, he is so warm. Our relationship is getting more serious. We are beginning to talk of the future. When I was young, I always dreamed of living in a large house with some knight and having a ton of children at our feet, but I never knew how much my prediction would be off. I want to be with him, no matter how poor we may be, if we have no children, I don't care. As long as he is by my side. I wish you were here too, also by my side, but I wouldn't even begin to know how to tell you how to get here. One day I will visit you when the time is right, because if we leave, chances are, we will not be able to find our home again. I miss you._

_All my love,_

_Regina_

* * *

Rumple had not been feeling well on this night. Day 227. It had been two hundred and twenty-seven days since he had seen his baby girl. And he had a splitting head ache. On most nights, he would wait for her letter, but he went to bed, about to pass out from the combined pain from his head and from his ankle.

When he woke the next morning, there was a letter sitting on the chair.

_Day 227-228_

_Dear Papa,_

_Daniel and I went to our favorite spot today, on the hill where you can see miles and miles of trees. At sunset, he asked me something and I want your approval before I can say yes. I am coming home. We are going to stay home. The people in town fussed about us leaving. They said that no one ever leaves, but there has to be a first. The inn keeper came up to me and told me something I will never forget though. She told me that she was a Seer and she said that she saw me and Daniel in the future with a little girl. Papa, when Daniel asks you his question, I want you to say yes. I will be home by noon on Day 229._

_All my love,_

_Regina_

He had received this letter yesterday. His head still hurt, but more then anything, he was anxious. What would have changed? Or would every thing still be the same. His head throbbed harder and he slouched down in his chair, leaning his head on the table and covering his eyes with his arms.


	34. Part 3 Chapter 9

_"No! NO!" Rumple yelled into the darkness. This place was not one he wanted to be in. His wife would only add to the confusion that he was having about his daughter. He heard her humming once again, but now he choose to clamp his hands over his ears and squeezed his eyes shut. "What do you want! Please just allow me to wake!"_

_"Oh Rumple dear, why was I hoping for a warmer welcome, especially to your true love." She came closer. "Open your eyes, dear."_

_"I don't want to see you the way you died." He mumbled opening his eyes to see purple smoke pool on the floor. He looked up to Cora and was surprised to see her appearance was different. She appeared much older, in a royal purple dress and her hair, which now had a few streaks of grey intertwined in the brown, cascaded down her left shoulder._

_"This was how I was to look you know, if I hadn't died."_

_Rumple walked up to her and went to put his hand through the hair, but his hand slid straight through. He was shocked at first, but the he pull back his hand. "You are just as beautiful."_

_"Rumple, I have a few things I need you to know-"_

_"NO! Cora, I need answers! How are we here! Why are we here! Where is here! Have you been hearing my requests!"_

_"Rumple I have already told you, I can't tell you any of this!"_

_"Then your wasting your time! I need answers!"_

_Rumple turned around and began to walk away. Cora interrupted. "Rumple wait!" He turned. "I am here because I died before my time was up. Until that time comes, I am stuck in between life and death. Our love created this room, although in reality, it doesn't exist. __It is one of the magics true love creates._ This is one of the few places that the dead and the living can exchange knowledge. I watch our daughter and you very carefully and I have the ability to change a few things in this world. If at the proper time, since Regina is a part of me, I can temporarily borrow her body. I have only done that once, so Henry wouldn't kill her."

_"And why are you here today?"_

_"To tell you a few things you will need to know for the next few years. First off, allow that stable boy, Daniel, to marry Regina. It will heal her the last off her hurt heart. It would mean everything to me if you gave her my wedding dress to wear. Second, after they get married, they are going to try to have a child."_

_"Well yes that is normal for any couple."_

_"Yes. When Regina fails to conceive, please comfort her."_

_Rumple's face grew bright red in anger. "You mean to tell me that after all the crap that our daughter has gone through, she won't be able to have a child!"_

_"I did what I had to do to make sure she wouldn't become pregnant after she was raped. I had to make it almost impossible."_

_"That is so unfair! You know how much she has had to go through to find love? You know, she always wanted a family. She told me in her letters. And you go and rip them away!"_

_Cora stepped backwards. "I did what I had to do! She would have become pregnant and it would have KILLED HER! That is why! Her body would not be able to My dear Rumple, please know it was in her best interest."_

_Rumple wiped the sweat and grey hairs off of his forehead. "Any other dreams you would like to crush while we are her Cora?"_

_"No that is all. I wanted you to know. She will need your help to get through." she turned to walk away, but then turned back around again. "I love you Rumple. Trust me when I say, I am, as you were, invested in your future."_

_Rumple smiled as he watched his wife disappear back into the darkness._

"Papa!" He felt himself shaking. "Papa!" He stared a little and then removed his arms from the table.

He forced open his eyes and then saw the bright light burn his eyes. When the image cleared, he first saw Cora. Then he focused. "Good morning Regina."

* * *

Rumple was surprised to how much had changed in less then a year. He had noticed that Regina was much more happy then he had seen her in years, especially when she looked into the eyes of the stable boy whose hand never left her's. She smiled more often. She used magic at her convenience, lighting candles in the perimeter of the room with a flick of her wrist.

Her hair was a great deal longer, but she still wore it pulled half up in a braid and bun. Her clothes were much more flattering then she used to wear, but she still wore her father's black cloak on top, where now it fit properly. But the one thing that was unmistakable different, was the ring that she had on a string that sat bellow Cora's golden heart necklace.

Regina had noticed only few things different with her father. He was very nervous, constantly playing with the handle of his cane. He also seemed slightly distant. His limp was substantially worse then it had been. His hair was the same length, but now there was a great deal more grey then brown present. But it was still her Papa.

"Sir?"

"I'm sorry just drifted off into thought. And please call me Rumpelstiltskin."

"Rumpelstil...Rumelstils...Rumpels-"

"Just Rumple will suffice."

"Thank you. So was your name more common when you were younger?"

"Not really. Then I take it you know of my past and how long I've been around."

"Rumple, you have no idea how much I look up to you for what you have done. You gave up everything for love."

Regina walked back in the room with a basket of apples. "Sorry for taking so long. Papa, you really should plant a tree closer to the house. I detest going to the market."

Daniel chuckled a little. "You go every chance you get!"

"Well I don't really care for the market around her. They don't really take magic well around here. It is more of a hatred to those who practice." Regina said as she waved her hands over the apples. They sliced themselves up into nice bite sized pieces and Regina placed them on the table.

Daniel looked to Regina and nodded. "Now that we are all here, I would like to ask you a question."

"Yes and that would be..."

Regina reached behind her hair and unclasped the necklace with the ring on it. Daniel took it from her and took the ring off from the chain. He nelt down on one knee and faced Regina. "Regina, would you do the honors of being my wife?"

Regina and Daniel both looked to Rumple for a few moments who just looked backat Regina. "Papa?"

"Why are you asking me. You two are perfectly happy, and all I care for now is my daughter's happiness. I know true love when I see it. Yes you two can get married."

Regina quickly got up from her chair and hugged her father tightly. "Thank you Papa!"

"Your welcome, my darling."


	35. Part 3 Chapter 10

"True love is the most powerful magic of all. It creates happiness. It creates families. It can even build worlds. Children born of it often have magic of their own. And we are here today to celebrate it."

Daniel squeezed Regina's gloved hands and stared into her eyes. "Do you take this woman to be your wife. To love and to cherish her for all eternity, in sickness and health?"

"I do."

"And do you take this man to be your husband. To love and to cherish her for all eternity, in sickness and health?"

"I do."

The rest of the words went unheard by both. They both wanted to take in the moment. Daniel in the royal blue coat and pants to match that Prince Henry had lent him and his hair combed just right. Regina was in her mother's dress with light make up and her hair was in an impossible bun that niether could really figure out. But both just got lost in each other's eyes. Coming out of the daze, Daniel drank the water from the fancy goblet and Regina did the same. The priest took back the goblet from Daniel and Regina pushed back the veil so it fell onto the sand. He said their cue and their lips met in a passionate kiss.

The small crowd cheered and clapped loudly as Daniel picked up Regina and spun her around lips still pressed firmly against each others. He quickly put her back down and they ran back down the beach to the tents that were set up for the occasion.

The whole beach wedding idea was Eugenia's. During one of many long visits to the castle, Regina had explained that she actually was an only child and that Wilma was just a magic cloaking spell. And after a brief presentation, Eugenia couldn't help but feel bad about being very rude after Wilma left. So, Eugenia convinced her father to fund and plan a fantasy wedding for Regina. This place was very special to her father, so it was also special to her, and it was just as well to take her vows here.

"Regina! Let me be the first to say congratulations!" Eugenia said quickly hugging her.

"I must thank you for planing this all for me."

"Oh my pleasure. It is good practice for when I have my own wedding. And you must go to the party! Come let me help you out of that dress." she said pulling Regina away from her husband who just waved to her and mouthed the words, "take your time."

* * *

"I could not wait to get out of that party." Regina said as she pulled Daniel off the the shore where a wave rushed in and covered both of their feet in the salty water.

"Do you even know any of those people?"

"A few from my working days, but must of them are complete strangers." Regina said tucking a piece of hair behind her took her hand softly and leaned in to giver her a soft kiss. "What is that for?"

"A gift for being my wife."

"Mmmmm, wife. Wife. Nice ring to it, husband." She said as she kissed him again.

All of the sudden a loud scream came from the middle of a group of people standing near where the reception used to be. Suddenly Evelyn came running with Eugenia stumbling behind, tripping on her high heeled shoes. "Regina! It's your father!"

* * *

Rumple awoke with his daughter's hands pressing against his temple and the familiar rush of magic threw out his body. His eyes flew open and he only saw her eyes were squeezed shut. "Regina!"

Her eyes flew open, the familiar purple glow of magic dominating their usual brown. "Oh Papa! You can't scare me like that!"

He quickly forced himself to sit up only to be met with Daniel's hands carefully pushing him back down onto the soft bed. "Don't move. You hit your head."

"Where am I."

"We brought you home. Stop squirming, I need to tend to you."

"Regina I am fine. Go have your wedding night."

Regina reached over to get a bowl and placed it on her lap. She summoned a scrap of fabric using magic and dipped it in the bowl. She then pressed it on a rather sore spot on his forehead. "That can wait. All that matter's now is that we get you better. Why did you fall like that? Does it have to do with all of those head aches you have been having?"

"Regina..."

"Father! Tell me!"

Very rarely did she refer to him as father; it had always been Papa. She was serious. "Alright! I think I am sick! Okay!" Regina quickly summoned a spell that made her hands glow a soft blue color. She pressed them on his temple and slowly rubbed them in circles soothing the ache from his head and his foot. "I forgot how much I love that spell. I also forgot what it was like to be sick, you know, because I was immortal and all."

"I have no idea what is wrong with you. I don't know how to fix it. Papa, I am sorry..."

"No Regina. Don't be. I just, wish there was something I could have done, before I died."

"Papa don't go there. Your not dying." Daniel began to rub Regina's shoulders as she continued giving Rumple the magic to sooth his pain.

"Don't lie to yourself, I have seen death. There is no man in this world who has lived with the people that I was born with. The people your brother was born with-"

"Papa, I don't have a brother."

Rumple pushed her hand off of his temples and sat up against the headboard of his bed. "Yes... You have a big brother, well a little brother. Before I lost my powers, before I met your mother, I had a vision of you when you were older casting a curse to bring us to a land without magic where he will be when we break it twenty-eight years later. But, it darkened your soul. You took Henry's heart to do it, and he was your father in this vision, not I."

"Father you must have hit your head to hard. Mama only ever had one child. You need to lay back down and rest."

"I was married before your mother! I had a son!" there was a long pause and Daniel left the room. "Your brother's name is Bealfire, Bea. He is in Neverland. Cora and I wanted to go there, but we... she died."

"Neverland! You can't travel in this condition!"

Rumple took Regina's hand. "Regina. I need you to do me a favor. I need you to find your brother. I need to say goodbye to him. To tell him I am sorry."

"What about you Papa!"

"I will be fine. Please, it will be the last thing I ask of you."

"Papa..." she said as her eyes began to water.

"I don't know how much time I have left. Just this one favor."

Regina gave him a hug as a tear escaped her eye. "Alright. Daniel and I will go and find my brother starting tomorrow morning."

"Thank you darling."

* * *

"So, big sister, how to get to Neverland?" Daniel said as he ran his fingers through her hair.

She flipped another page in her spell book. "There are no spells on crossing worlds, but it speaks of magic beans, grown by the giants." she said lifting the book to where Daniel could see. "However it seems my father has answered that question for me." In the book, Rumple had clearly crossed out the line on the beans and written in the margin the world extinct.

"We could travel to the bean stalk."

"A journey?"

"What's a little alone time with your wife when we are newlyweds?"

Regina turned around to face him. "Sounds fun." She kissed him on his cheek and he cupped her face. "Daniel, you remember our promise? It is our wedding night."

"Are your sure you are ready, you know, to do it again?"

"Absolutely." She kissed him again and he picked her up, slowly bringing her to their marriage bed. A smile graced her lips, one he hadn't seen since they left the ceremony. They kissed again, this time much more soft, as if it didn't even happen. His hands slid down and grabbed her waist, gentility moving her closer. They released each other's lips and leaned their foreheads together. "This is how I want it to be from now on. I want things to stay like this forever."

"I love you."

"I love you too."


	36. Part 3 Chapter 11

**A/N Sorry this chapter starts really slow. I attempted at going outside today, and it sucked the life out of me, it is so hot. I will fix all the grammar tomorrow, I need to go to sleep tonight. Good night/ good morning where ever you are. Please Review!**

**Oh an if you are offended by foul language, skip the last sentence. **

* * *

Regina lay comfortably in Daniels arms when the sun rose on the next morning. She was exhausted being that she got no actual sleep the last night and her husband had only drifted of moments before. She never thought she would enjoy being in bed more, but she had to get up. She slowly went to get up, but Daniel hands grabbed her by the wrist. "Please don't leave."

"I need to take care of my father. Go back to sleep, I wake you soon and we can get started on our journey." Daniel began to complain, but Regina choose to ignore everything he said and dressed herself in traveling clothes. Daniel soon did the same as Regina went out of their room to check on her father. He was peacefully sleeping in his bed in the next room over.

She reached over and felt his forehead. He was burning up. She quickly summoned up the cold rag and water again and began to dab it to his head in efforts to cool him down. Rumple gasped as it touched his head and jolted up a bit. "Gods Regina... warning next time."

"Papa your fever is intents. I can't leave with your fever this bad."

"You and Daniel need to leave today. You know where the bean stalk is. I took you by there before so teleportation is a non issue. You will be back by nightfall."

"How did you know our plan."

"You can hear everything in this house."

Regina removed the rag from her father's forehead and dipped it back in the bowl. She thought through his last statement. "Oh god, I hope he didn't hear us last night..." she mumbled reapplying the cloth to his head and leaving the room for a moment. She returned with a fresh apple and handed it to her father. "Eat this. It will help you get up your energy."

Rumple took a large bight as Daniel entered the room also chewing on a fresh apple. "How is he?"

"His fever is pretty high, but it will soon decrease and we may start our trip."

* * *

After spending the morning tending to him, his fever went down enough to leave him. "We will be back by noon hour tomorrow. I have left you enough food to get you through until that time on your night table. Please don't get out of bed unless it is necessary. I don't want your fever to reach it's high again."

"I understand, please go."

Regina obeyed and grabbed Daniel's arm. They both ran outside and Regina engulfed the two in her teleportation spell. As the smoke cleared Daniel looked up in wonder. "And we have to climb that."

"Yes that is the plan."

"Can't we just use magic?"

"No but we need magic to climb it," she said as a leather cuff appeared around his arm and an identical one on hers. "This ensures safe passage to the realm."

Daniel quickly took Regina's hand and they both put a hand on the beanstalk. "Please don't fall on me."

* * *

The moon was beaming down on the pavilion where the beanstalk ended. Regina and Daniel had arrived hours earlier while there was still day light, but braked to sleep. They both had decided that it would be best to wait to go and steel a bean. After careful planing, they hid behind some of the weeds that dominated the garden. Daniel was the first to wake, and he carefully shook Regina's shoulder. "Wake up. We need to go now while they are asleep."

Regina sat up and put back on her cloak that the two had been using as a blanket to cover her bare shoulders. Daniel grabbed a sword they had found discarded in the brush near to the entrance and Regina to her father's dagger out of her riding boots. The two carefully snuck into the fields. There were average sized plants covering each of the field, well average sized if you were a giant. On each of these plants, thousands of pods that were normal size for a human bean pod. Daniel reached out to grab on of the many bean pods, but it fell to the ground, already dead. "We need to get closer to the top."

"Here give me a boost." Daniel stood bellow Regina and pushed her feet above his head to where she could grab onto a leaf. She hoisted herself up and began climbing leaf by leaf. A light appeared at the begin of the fields that shown through to where the two were. Loud earth shattering footsteps rocked the ground.

"Regina! Hurry!" She found a few prime pods and snatched as many as she could fit into her cloak pockets. The steps got closer and closer as she attempted at climbing down. The steps began to rock the ground making Regina lost her grip on the bean plant and fall to the ground. She cried out in pain and Daniel rushed to be by her side.

"Thieves!" a voice cried out as a giant hand rushed to grab the two. Daniel picked up Regina and ran as fast as he could, escaping the grasp of the hand by a matter of feet.

"Can you teleport us out!?" Daniel yelled in attempts to get through Regina who was still recovering from the fall.

She went to hold her arm out to summon the teleportation spell, but only screamed out in pain. "My arm can't move!"

More footsteps began to rock the field and Daniel began to slow down, his feet exhausted from carrying the two. He soon tripped and fell, dropping Regina, leaving both immobilized. One of the beans had fallen from her pocket a created a swirling vortex to another land where the two fell in leaving behind this world.

* * *

Regina awoke with a zing of pain cascading through her right arm. Without thinking she went to summon her healing spell, but it didn't work. "Daniel!" He quickly went to grab for Regina when he was interrupted by a loud rumbling noise. He cringed and covered Regina as a strange carriage zipped by them.

"What was that monster? Regina where are we." He said as he got up and pulled Regina to her feet. The two took in their surroundings. They were surrounded by thick trees, but there was a strange black path with two yellow lines painted down the center. Another strange carriage zipped passed on the left side of the yellow line. There was a large green sign on the side of the road.

"It appears we are not in Neverland." She said as she tried to summon up even the simplest of fire spell. "This world, it had no magic. This world, the sign says it is called Maine." Regina reached in her pocket with her left hand to only find that three of the beans they had stolen remained.

"Shit."


	37. Part 3 Chapter 12

It had been only minutes from when they landed in the strange land of "Maine" when the two had decided that they no longer wanted to be there. That was one thing that the couple knew. Of all the things they could have done on their first day married, this is what neither wanted to be doing. They wanted to be home or sitting on the beach or riding. But this was something they couldn't do while in Maine.

There were no horses in sight, only strange carriages that moved without a horse to draw them. There was also snow, and a lot of it. This land of Maine must be a cold place because the ground bellow them was frozen and snow began falling from the clouds. The snowflakes were sticking in their hair and clothing making the two shiver. They both decided that they may be able to warm up under the pine trees. Regina quickly took her cloak and wrapped it around the two. Daniel quickly cradled her in his arms and she began to shiver more violently, her arms now bare and open to the stinging cold air. "It will be alright. We are going to get out of here."

"But Daniel, I don't have magic, my arm will not heal. Does that mean that the beans won't work either?"

Daniel reached over and brushed a few snowflakes from her face and then pushed it into the crook of his neck to keep her warm. "Shhhhh. Don't say that." He reached into the pocket of the cloak and pulled out the beans. Regina picked up her head and lightly touched the remaining beans, counting them over and over.

"One... Two... Three... One... Two... Three. Three chances to find my brother and bring him to Papa. And if they don't work, we are as good as dead. And Papa, without my healing, what will become of him." She said sniffing hard.

Daniel took one and lifted it to focus on. "This is our ticket home. We will go back to your father."

"How do you know?"

"I just do. Trust me Regina." He said as he dropped the bean on the soft browning needles that coated the ground. It bounced once and then opened a portal, the two falling in quickly.

* * *

The two fell through the sky and landed in the ocean. Quickly wave after wave began hitting the couple as they emerged to the surface. Daniel came up first and spit out a mouth-full of water and began treading water. Regina came up with her left arm flailing wildly coughing up the salty water. "Daniel!" her head went under water. She soon reemerged to the surface. "I...can't swim!"

Another wave came between the two and pushed Regina under the water. Daniel quickly paddled to Regina and dove under the water. He grabbed Regina's wrist and pushed her to the surface. He then quickly swam up to meet her and hoisted her on his back. "How do you grow up and never learn to swim."

"I can't move my arm! Where are we?"

"I don't know." Daniel began to swim pulling Regina behind him. "Look there is a ship in the distance." He pulled Regina closer to him. "I need you to try to perform magic. A light spell should do it. Or sparks. Anything that will get their attention."

Regina quickly focused all of her thoughts on her left hand as she raised it out of the water. A weak few sparks of gold emanated and exploded as they reached the clouds. "I have magic!" She quickly brought her hand to her right arm and attempted at preforming her healing spell, but her hand only glowed lightly. Suddenly a shock wave of pain sliced through her arm as the bones reattached themselves. She went to move it, but was only meet with pain. The ship in the distance was now close, the people on board throwing a rope, which Daniel caught.

The men pulled the two up to the deck, first grabbing Regina and then Daniel. The two stood dripping on the deck of this strange ship. This ship, was not one from their land. Daniel quickly went over to Regina and hugged her tightly, and the two collapsed on the deck. The people on deck just stood and stared until one emerged from the back and tossed the two a faded blue wool blanket.

The two wrapped the blanket around themselves. "Well what do we have here?" The man said as he stepped into the moon light. He reach forward with his left arm, and a hook brushed her cheek. "What is your name, lass?"

Daniel held Regina closer, pulling her away from the strange man. "Stay away from my wife."

"Oh so protective." He said growing closer. "I don't believe we have been introduced. Killian Jones, but you may just call me Hook. I am the captain of this ship. Now tell me why you have come to Neverland?"

Regina quickly ripped herself from Daniel's grasp. "We are in Neverland?"

"Well yes that is what I told you."

"Would you know where a group of young boys would be?"

"You would be referring to the lost boys. But I doubt either of you would want to become one. You being female and your friend over there is too old."

Regina quickly summoned up as much magic as she could and the captain stepped back. A purple smoke engulfed her body and Daniel ran to be by her side. The smoke cleared, they were both taken by surprise. A small boy, with the same raven curly hair and deep brown eyes, stepped forward from the spot where Regina had been standing. The clothing he was wearing was very different, except for the cloak. "Regina?"

"Daniel, I am sorry. I want to find my brother."

He handed the two remaining beans to Regina. She shoved one back into his hand. "Go home, take care of my father."

"No Regina, I won't leave you."

"It's not Regina anymore, it's Ryan. I am going to find my brother." She said as she jumped off the side of the boat and into the water.


	38. Part 3 Chapter 13

"Where did she go!" Daniel yelled running to the side of the ship to where Regina had jumped off.

"Well I believe that she just jumped off the side of my ship. Now if you will excuse me, I have a ship to run." The captain said as he turned to join the rest of the men.

Daniel ran after the man. "No! You need to help me find my wife!"

"Oh, I don't _need_ to help you do anything." He kept walking.

"Please! You just sent my wife out to the unknown of this land she knows nothing about!"

He stopped. "Well, I don't want to be the one to tell you, but your wife is nothing but a boy."

"She made herself that way because she is looking for her brother! Where is she going!"

"Look, take that row-boat and go to the northern most point of the nearest island. I think that you may have luck finding her there."

"How do I not know that you are lying?"

The captain turned around and walked over to the life boat that was suspended from the deck and swung his hook at the ropes. They immediately snapped dropping the boat into the water with a splash. "I'll tell you what, I will come with you." He grabbed the guard rail of the ship and flung himself over the edge. "Well are you coming?"

* * *

She was swimming with all her strength to the small island that she saw over the horizon. It had been hours, an her smaller body was making the trip take even longer. Looking back on it, she wished she had waited to shape shift into a young boy, or she would have made it to the island much faster. For the past few minute, she had looked back and seen a row boat coming closer and closer to where she was. Every time she looked back, it just got closer and she would think that it would just start going in the opposite direction. But she now saw it, but a few feet away and panicked.

"YOU!" A voice call and grabbed her cloak. They ripped her out of the water and dropped her in the bottom of the boat. "Are you the boy who came in through the portal?!" he yelled.

Regina just sat with a scared face, as would any child in the face of these over powered teens. "Take him to camp! He wants to talk to him!"

* * *

They dumped her in an island full of boys, some younger, some older, but none were over the age of fifteen. They were all children. They shouldn't have to be here, alone. It looked more like some were being kept here as a prison, and not by free will. It was not fair. For a while, the other boys were hesitant, but soon they came over and joined her. The tallest boy of the group came over first and held out his hand to her. "Here, get up out of the sand. What is your name?"

"Ryan."

"I am Baelfire." She gasped a little. "If you stick with me, then you will do well here." A small boy stepped out from behind Baelfire still hanging onto the blanket that was wrapped around his shoulders and another came from behind. "Come, I will get you a warm blanket to dry you off." He walked away and waved Regina to follow.

The little boy came out from behind Baelfire and tugged on Regina's cloak. "What?"

"Oh, he is mute. He can't speak." The boy kept tugging and Regina bent down to be at eye level.

He reached over and talked into her ear. "I know you are a girl." Regina's eyes widened. "I don't tell."

* * *

Daniel was alone in the middle of the ocean with the strange captain in a row boat. "So what did your wife say her name was, Reina?"

"Regina."

"Right." There was another long pause. "And-"

"We are here to find her older brother."

"Yes." The two continued to row steadily to the shore.

"Where ever you are, Regina, I hope it is better than here." Daniel thought to himself as they continued their awkward journey to the shores of Neverland.


	39. Part 3 Chapter 14

Regina woke early the next morning on the beach of Neverland in a group of the lost boys. She thought that it would be best to wake Baelfire when the rest were fast asleep so he wouldn't put up a fight to go with her. "Bae! Wake up!"

"What is it?"

"Can you come with me?"

"To where?"

Regina just grabbed his hand and pulled him from out under the large blanket. The two ran to the coast until Baelfire stopped. "What is going on?"

"I am not who you think I am."

"What are you talking about-" Regina suddenly took off the cloaking spell allowing herself to become the way she was when she and Daniel had arived in Neverland. Baelfire took a few steps back. "Who are you?"

Regina got down on her knees giving them a nice coat of sticky beach sand. "My name is Regina and I am your sister."

"Prove it."

Regina reached into her boot and unstrapped the dagger. She brought it out into the moon light for him to see. "He isn't the dark one anymore. This was his dagger, until my mother broke his curse. He is dying."

"I don't understand."

"Our papa is dying, and his last wish was to see you."

Bealfire turned around to go back to the group. "I don't want to see him."

A voice called from behind where the two was standing. "Regina!"

Regina quickly turned. "Daniel!" They quickly meet in the middle of the water. She threw her arms around him and squeezed tightly. "What are you going here?"

"I can't leave you here." He let her go and kissed her tightly. "Is that your brother?"

Regina turned to look at the small boy standing in shadows. "What are you doing awake?" The little boy stepped out from the shadows and ran to Regina and clutched onto her cloak. "You need to go back to bed." The boy shook his head and took a larger fist full of her cloak.

"I am going back to bed." Baelfire called as he continued on back to the camp.

"Please wait!" Bealfire stopped. "His dying wish was to see you."

"I don't care. He broke our deal."

"Papa doesn't break deals. I know that."

The little boy took something in his hand and gripped it tightly. "I don't care anymore." The little boy threw the thing in his hand on the ground creating a large portal in the ground making Baelfire fall in. He ran after him into the portal. Regina took Daniel's hand and the two jumped in and the portal closed.

"Why did I even bother coming with." The captain said as he started rowing back to sea.

* * *

They landed in the soft field of grass with a soft breeze. After the two had fallen, the young boy stood up, as if traveling from Neverland had not fazed him at all. He got up and ran over to Regina. He bent down and shook her shoulder. Her eyes shot open and she quickly stood up waking Daniel in the processes. "Where are we?"

"This is your land."

"Who are you? Why does he think you are mute?"

"I don't talk often. My parents never gave me a name."

"Why did you know about me?"

"I have a way with magic. I can feel it." He looked over to the other people who had traveled with them and shut his mouth tightly. He moved behind Regina and grabbed onto her cloak again.

Daniel began to get up and picked up Baelfire, who had yet to wake up. "Regina, do you think you can teleport us back to your father?"

"Come here." Daniel came over to her and carefully put his hand onto her arm without putting down Baelfire. Regina smiled at him and kissed him lightly. She turned to the small boy on her cloak. "Hold on."

She quickly summoned that smoke and had it pool around their feet. She commanded it to bring her home to her father.

* * *

They landed in the eating room of Rumple's house. Regina fell down, exhausted from performing such extravagant magic. Daniel bent down to help her, but Regina waved him off and he put Baelfire onto the sofa in the sitting room. Regina relaxed slowly onto her back. The boy curiously walked around the floor of the house. He eyed the door where Rumple was sleeping and carefully entered. He looked strangely at Rumple for a moment and then ran back out of the room. He ran to where Regina was on the floor rubbing her head. "Bad man.'

"Not anymore."

"Dark one!"

Regina put her hand on the ground to prop herself up. She looked into the boy's soft blue eye weld with tears. "Please don't cry. He isn't the dark one anymore."

"He hurt me." The boy rolled up the legs to the pair of loose pants he was wearing to reveal a large scar going up his ankle to his knee.

Regina lightly traced the mark with her fingers. "He isn't that way anymore." She pressed harder on his leg now with her whole palm. "I can get rid of the mark. Would you like it gone?" The boy shook his head.

"It is the only thing that helps me remember Mommy."

"I am sorry for what he did to you." She said beginning to sit up. "But I need to go and see him now. Do you want to come with."

The boy just stared into her eyes and she got up. He reluctantly got up and followed her. A voice yelled over the whole house. "What are you doing! Get off of me!" Regina ran into the sitting room to find her brother curled into a tight ball.

"Baelfire. Please calm down."

"No Regina! Where am I!"

"Papa's house. And for now, ours too." Regina held out her hand to Baelfire. "Come on. It's alright." He reluctantly reached out and wrapped his fingers around her palm causing a smile to form on Regina's face. She led him into the back room where Rumple was sleeping. Baelfire stood for a moment after they had entered, letting Regina go to press her hands to his forehead and fill his body with magic. He looked so much older. His skin no longer having the golden scales once present. His hair was primarily grey. He looked content in his sleep, unlike the way he used to be angered. The boy peeked his eyes over the door way, fingers curled over the door frame.

After a few minute of Regina using magic to Rumple, he began to stir and sat up. His eyes first traveled to Regina smiling down on him. Then to Daniel next to her with a hand on her shoulder. Then he looked to the opposite side of the room and saw another familiar face. "Bae..."


	40. Epilogue

**A/N This is it! The end is here! I have had so much fun writing this fic, although I am kind of glad it is done. No more daily updated fics for me... Any way this is the official ending to Love or Power. I hope it clears up everything. Thank you to all of the people who have read and left reviews. I never thought I would be able to reach so many people. You were my motivation to stay up late and write an update daily. This was the hardest thing to write out of anything in this whole story, so I hope it turned out good.**

**As a little bonus, I just realized that I never have presented the actual name to "Cora's Song". Yes it is actually real. The melody is called Lilium. If you are curious, look us Lilium music box on youtube and is what Regina's music box sounds like.**

** Thanks for everything! And now, I present to you:**

**Love or Power: Ending**

* * *

Six years later

**...**

"Tell me a story Grandpa!" The little girl with raven hair asked as she ran around the floor of his bed chamber.

"Alright settle down. What story do you want to hear?" Rumple said as he attempted to sit up in his bed, cringing at the pain zinging through out his body.

"The one about the Millers Daughter! My favorite!" She said plopping down on the carpet with her legs crossed.

"Okay." He said sitting up slowly in his bed. "There was once a beautiful young girl who lived with her father, a miller in a poor village. One night, there was a party at the royal palace for the king to give away the hand of his son. She, however, went not for the prince's hand in marriage, she went for the food they were serving, for her father was poor and food at these parties were free to any guest who came. After she ate, she borrowed a mask and went into the ball room. She found herself talking to a young man who asked her to dance, who she then found was the prince himself. His father stopped their dance, telling her that she did not belong a the party because she was nothing but the daughter of a miller. A commoner. She then told him that she was much more then a miller's daughter, that she could spin straw into gold. The king made a deal with her; if she could turn a room of straw into gold by the morning, she would marry the prince and if she failed she would be killed. She was locked in a tower. There she met a dark wizard, the dark one himself. He made a deal with her, to teach her how to turn straw into gold in exchange for her giving him her first born baby. She agreed and he taught her how to spin straw into gold. Although their deal was done after that night, she felt something more for this man. She felt love. They continued magic lessons, and soon their love blossomed. She ran away from the palace to be with the dark wizard, leaving the money and power that so many craved behind. With their love, they broke the dark one's curse, turning him back into a man and they created a beautiful daughter who had magic of her own. The dark wizard and the miller's daughter were then married and they live happily with their daughter."

The little girl smiled hugged Rumple tightly. "Thank you Grandpa. Good night." She turned and started to walk out of the door.

"Cora?" The little girl turned. "I want you to remember something I told your mother when she was little. True love is the most powerful magic of all. Follow your heart and you will be with people you love."

Regina entered the room. "Cora it is time for bed."

"Yes Mama." The little girl ran to Regina and hugged her legs.

Regina placed a light kiss on her forehead. "Go home. I will be along in a moment." The little girl let go of Regina's legs and ran out of the cottage. After looking out the window to make sure she got in their house, Regina summoned her healing spell and approached Rumple. "How are you Papa?"

"I have been better." He said as she began soothing his pain with the magic.

"Your fever is higher today. Maybe it would be best if I stayed for the night."

"No you need your rest." He said reaching up and touching her stomach. "I was surprised when you told me. Your mother told me it was near impossible, yet this is the second time. I am proud of you, my daughter."

Regina smiled a bit and removed her hands. She did not believe him when he told her of his visit from her mother. The sickness was causing his brain to go funny, she supposed. But to not hurt his feelings, she went along with the idea that her dead mother talked to him. "Thank you Papa. That is all I can do for tonight." He gave a weak smile and closed him eyes. She reached for his forehead and brushed away a few of his grey hairs and put a cold wash cloth on his forehead. She gently dabbed his head and began humming her mother's song. He soon fell asleep and she kissed him on the forehead. "Goodnight Papa."

* * *

Regina climbed into her bed with Daniel after tucking in their daughter. This had been their bed for five years after moving out of Rumple's home. Now, Baelfire was living with Rumple in the small house next door. Their relationship took time, but over the years, they learned to see eye to eye again. With having five in the house, it was much too crowded. Rumple allowed them to build a house on his land. Regina needed to be near her father at all times, giving him healing secession on a daily basis. Although he was still alive, Regina knew that it would only be a matter of time. Still, he surprised everyone with how long he lasted with his condition, whatever that may be.

They had made their house large. The two had agreed they wanted a big family, although complications were a matter. It was after two years of trying that the two had finally been able to conceive a child. The two were over joyed at the arrival of two twin girls, Cora and Madeline, after Daniel's mother. The boy from Neverland had been a great help. He lived with Daniel and Regina. Soon he started calling them his parents and he became part of the family.

Times were great, they had a steady income with Regina's magic and the stable Daniel had set up, until Madeline got sick. The little family didn't know it, but one morning, Madeline wasn't breathing. She had passed away in her sleep. It was the saddest day for the small family. Regina had not told Cora of her sister, she was too young to remember anything. After that they stopped trying to have a baby for a while, until a year ago when the only thing Cora asked for for her birthday was a little sister to play with. Now she was with child again and everyone was so excited.

Bringing her out of a deep thought, Daniel reached over and kissed her on the forehead. "How was she tonight?"

"She was tired, so I got her home much easier tonight." Regina sighed sinking down into the pillows. "Papa's fever has gotten worse."

"Do you think-"

"No. He has defied all the odds. He is not dying."

"He can't live forever anymore, he is not the dark one anymore. I just need you to be prepared."

Regina slid closer to Daniel allowing his arm to rest on her shoulder. "I know. He is living on borrowed time. But he is my Papa." Regina gasped a little, and Daniel shot her a worried look. "Just kicking."

Daniel moved his hand to rest on top of her stomach. The baby quickly responded kicking hard for him to feel. "How is he?"

"Oh so it is a he now?"

"Well, he acts so much different then the girls."

"The fact that he kicks harder doesn't make him a boy. Girls can be just as strong."

Daniel went and kissed her again, this time much more passionate. "I know, because my girl is strong. Get some rest."

* * *

It was a morning quite like all the others. Regina and Daniel had gone home and Bae had not waken up yet. It the sunlight was starting to cast it's light on the floor and specks of dust were viable over the wooden frame of his bed. His head had not started to ache yet this morning, so today was bound to be a better day. He decided that is would be a good idea to try to walk around for a little while before his body began to ache. He carefully swung his legs over the edge of the bed, and was surprised when he put down his feet. The pain was gone. He stood up and walked a little with his cane, nothing. No pain. It had been years since he had a day with no pain.

"Hello Rumple."

He quickly turned around. "My, my. It has been some time since I saw you last."

"Seven years is not as long as it seems." She said walking closer and closer. She raised her right hand. He slowly inched his calloused hand to touch it. Solid. Her skin against his own. A feeling he had not felt for twenty-four years.

"I-I can touch you." He said smiling wider. Without hesitation, he dropped his cane and kissed her hard. "Your really here. It is actually you. How?"

Cora pulled away, not letting go of his hands. "You are dead."

"I am dead? What do you mean? Regina healed me last night! What about Regina, Bae, Cora, Daniel, Boy, the baby..."

"It is alright Rumple. They are all fine."

"But I never said good bye."

Cora lifted his hands so he could see them at eye level and softly squeezed them. "Your body was done, but your soul is still strong. Trust me when I say that they will be fine with your passing." Cora quickly removed one of her hands and bent down to pick up his cane. He took it from her hands. "You may take it with."

"Where are we going?"

Cora quickly pulled him to the door out of his bed chamber. She gripped the door nob and turned it carefully. "You will find out soon. Ready?" He nodded. She swung open the door and a white light flashed before their eyes making it so the two were engulfed in it.

_Good bye everyone. I love you all more then you can imagine._

* * *

Regina drifted off to sleep. It had been two weeks since her father's death. Every one had been devastated, but only her neither her brother or her husband knew what she was going through. Although he had gotten on her nerves in the past few years, he had always been there for her. He would always be her Papa, her best friend. She had to be strong. Strong for Cora, the baby, everyone. But on the inside, it had taken every moment of these two weeks to allow her tears to dry. She couldn't take away one lingering thought she had when she had awoken on the day of his death. _Good bye everyone. I love you all more then you can imagine._ This was not a common thought of hers.

Soon she relaxed enough to where her heavy eyes drifted into sleep.

_She was in a dark room, everywhere there was black. She soon heard two voices humming he mothers song. One male, one female. Scared she ran around, protectively grasping her stomach. She soon saw two faces appear and she gasped. They were not any two random people, but a younger version of her father and a woman she recognized as her mother. They stood hand and hand, the woman with a white gown covered in blood and her father in a leather suit and his cane. "No this is my brain playing tricks on me. It is just a dream."_

_The two stepped forward. "No this is not a dream, Regina." _

_"Mama... Papa..."_

_"We love you Regina." They said in unison. Rumple stepped forward._

_"I love you more then all the power in all the worlds. Years ago, we both made a decision. Love or power. And we made the right one."_

**The End**


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